The Peverell Curse
by The Oddness
Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone including the emerald eyed child.  Slash Tom/Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Peverell Curse**

**Author: The Oddness**

**A/N: This is my first ever Harry Potter fanfiction and I hope you like and enjoy it.**

**Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born; unknown to almost everyone, including the emerald eyed child himself.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K.R.**

_(Italics)_ means Parseltongue.

Harry Potter was ten years old, nearly eleven in a few weeks time. At the moment he was asleep in the cupboard under the stairs but not for long. The shrill screech of his aunt's voice made the first sound of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.

"Up!" She shrieked like a banshee.

The previously slumbering Harry heard her walking down the hall with a faint shuffle of impeccably clean clothes and tapping of polished shoes on the spotless wooden floor. Harry rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It was a good one. Harry was floating about totally at ease in cool crystal waters, the little silver glittering charm around his neck twinkled like a captured star in the underwater sunlight that filtered through the blue canopy above him. Harry had a funny feeling he had the same dream before.

His aunt was back outside his door.

"Are you up yet!" She screeched at him once again.

"Nearly," yawned Harry.

"Well get a move on you ungrateful brat! You need to cook breakfast. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Harry groaned.

"What did you say?" His aunt snapped through the door.

"Nothing, nothing…"

Dudley's birthday – how could have he forgotten?

Harry slunk out of bed and started looking for clothes. He found a pair of socks under his bed and some old hand-me-down clothes of Dudley's hanging on the bed post. After shedding a spider or two from his clothing, Harry got dressed into the oversized circus tent like garments.

Once Harry had gotten fully dressed, he cautiously peeked out of his cupboard, his emerald eyes glinting in the early morning sun. The coast was clear. Often in the mornings when Harry's uncle or cousin had just woken up and were in a ghastly mood, they would give Harry a hard whack just to make themselves feel better. Harry stole down the hall into the kitchen, silent as a ghost.

The table was absolutely covered in presents; a few had even overflowed onto the tiled floor making it hard for Harry to get breakfast ready and cooking. But it was no meaning feat after all, Harry had been cooking for the Dursley's ever since he was tall enough to reach the stove, so he was used to it. While the eggs were frying, Harry glanced around the room, stopping his glance at the brightly colored wrapped boxes.

It looked as though Dudley had gotten that new computer he wanted, not mention the second television and the racing bike he's been crying for. Exactly why Dudley wanted the racing bike was a mystery to Harry. As Dudley was very fat and hated to exercise – unless it involved punching somebody.

Unfortunately that somebody was usually Harry. Yet on the up side Harry had a knack of being able to almost merge with shadows and hide very effectively. Plus his surprising speed let him get far enough away to hide from his cousin.

Perhaps it had something to do with living in a small dark cramped cupboard, but Harry had always been very small and slim for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he was when he was forced to wear Dudley's old clothes. Harry was about four times smaller than the fat lump of lard that paraded as his cousin.

Harry had a thin pale face with high aristocratic cheekbones. Chin length wavy black hair that framed his face like an onyx curtain of water and glinted almost silver in the sun, long elegant limbs and glowing green eyes with flecks of silver dotted around in the pool of emerald like tiny glinting fish scales. Harry wore round glasses with sellotape fusing them together because of all the times Dudley or his uncle had punched him on the nose.

Harry also had a thin silvery scar shaped like a lightning bolt above his left eye. This was the only thing Harry really liked about his appearance. But the only thing that was truly Harry's favorite thing about himself was a tiny silver pendant. It was a miniscule little glass jar no bigger than his baby finger nail and inside of the pendant's glass was a soft silver glow. This jar hung on a thin silver chain that glinted in the sun and hung snake like around Harry's pale elegant neck.

This was the first question Harry could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was what was inside of it and how he had gotten the necklace.

"Your parents gave it to you before they died. And you must never take it off!" she had snapped. "And don't ask questions."

Don't ask questions- that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursley's.

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.

"Comb your hair boy!" the large beefy man barked as a way of a morning greeting.

About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. It wasn't proper for boys to have long hair. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together. But it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way; never shorter than under his chin.

Harry was plating up the food when Dudley arrived waddling into the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked and acted a lot like his father.

He had a large flabby pink face, several chins which gave him the appearance of a sunburnt bull frog, small piggy eyes and a thick layer of straw like hair that thatched his scalp. Harry associated the word repulsion with Dudley. Because that was what he was to Harry: repulsive.

As Harry set out the orange juice, which was rather difficult seeing as there was now next to no room on the kitchen table, Dudley was counting his presents. Dudley's face fell.

"Thirty-six." He scowled, looking up at his parents. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling Diddums you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from mummy and daddy."

"All right, thirty-seven then." Dudley was going red in the face. Harry who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on so he quickly wolfed down his bread and butter just in case his cousin decided to turn the table over.

Harry's aunt also seemed to sense the danger so she quickly calmed her son by promising him two more presents when they went out for his birthday that day.

Dudley screwed up his face in thought for a moment. "So I'll have… thirty…"

"Thirty nine sweetums," rushed out Aunt Petunia.

Dudley had a smug self-satisfied grin on his face and reached out with his pudgy hands for the closest brightly wrapped parcel.

Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. Atta boy Dudley!" Vernon ruffled Dudley's straw like hair with his large podgy hand.

At that moment the telephone rang and Petunia went to answer it. She returned to the kitchen with a grave face a few moments later.

"Bad news Vernon, Mrs. Figg has broken her leg." Petunia jerked her head in Harry's direction, "She can't take him."

Dudley looked outraged but Harry's heart jumped for joy. Because every year Dudley went out for his birthday to amazing fun places like theme parks and burger bars, Harry was always left with smelly old Mrs. Figg.

"Were going to have to take him with us," was the final conclusion to the Dursley's problem.

Before Harry knew what was going on, he was carted into the back of the car, sandwiched between the door and Piers Polkis, Dudley's friend, on the way to the zoo.

At one point Harry absentmindedly mentioned his dream about breathing under cool blue waters. Uncle Vernon nearly crashed the car.

"PEOPLE DO NOT BREATH UNDERWATER!" He bellowed while Piers and Dudley snickered out loud.

The Dursley's, Piers and Harry had been wondering around the zoo all of the morning and afterward, they had stopped for lunch where Dudley had a tantrum about his Knickerbocker Glory not being big enough. They retreated to the cool shade of the reptile house in order to hopefully appease him.

Harry wondered aimlessly through the darkness of the reptile house. Piers and Dudley had rushed off to look at man crushing pythons and venomous cobras. After a while Harry sat down in a dark corner and was surprised to hear a tiny hissing voice.

"_Psss green eyes watch where you're going!" _Harry looked right into the dark corner of the reptile house and was startled to see a tiny snake hatchling curled up in the corner. It was pale white with dark black rings banded around its body at regular intervals and it had a paddled tail. Harry swallowed noticing what it was; a sea krait, one of the most venomous sea snakes in the world.

"_Did you say that!" _It was safe to say Harry was terrified. Was he going mental?

"_Yes stupid, but I don't know how you're talking to me. I have never come across one of your race who can speak the tongue of serpents." _The tiny snakeling's voice sounded female.

"_I didn't know I could speak to snakes… oh gods I think I'm going mental." _Harry sighed and ran a hand through his onyx hair.

"_Green eyes take me with you; I have been trying very hard to escape. When I mature they want me to breed with this oversized boar of a snake that I hate. Now I have come this far it's a pity to waste my effort. Plus if you try to take me back I'll bite you." _The little snake's eyes glowed softly in the darkness.

"_Well I can't argue with that. But little snake I wouldn't know where to take you and my family would kill you if they found you." _Harry fidgeted in the corner.

"_I don't care, but you must hide me. I won't show myself now. Let me crawl up your sleeve. I will wind myself around one of your belt loops. Your oversized shirt will hide me." _The little snake didn't even wait for an answer and she slithered up Harry's sleeve and down his shirt to hang around one of his belt loops.

"Boy! We're leaving! Hurry up!" Vernon's loud angry voice rang throughout the reptile house and Harry quickly hurried after him, his little stowaway an almost comforting weight hanging on his waist.

Maybe Harry did have a friend...well more of an acquaintance. Even if it was an extremely venomous sea snake and Harry may or may not be totally bonkers.

**Okay how was that for a first chapter?**

**A/N: Don't worry about my writing and the story line it will become more my own eventually. I just wanted you to get the feel of what was going on and such. So I know the chapter is quite short but I just write that way shorter quicker chapters. So I hoped you liked it. Oh by the way I only have a vague plot so this story line might veer off into uncharted territory for me so there is much space for suggestion and requests, so once it got going a bit you can request for scenes you'd like to see if you wish.**

**Thanks Oddness x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** The Perevell Curse

**Author:** The Oddness

**Summary: **A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone including the emerald eyed child.

**A/N:** Hello again, here is the second installment of my fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it.

_(Italics)_ mean Parseltongue.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R and not me.**

_Recap: Maybe Harry did have a friend...well more of an acquaintance. Even if it was an extremely venomous sea snake and Harry may or may not be totally bonkers._

Harry's life went normally for a while, save the sea krait which hung around his belt loop wherever he went. Harry had decided to call her Cleopatra after the last of the Pharaohs in Egypt.

Harry had found the name in one of his school text books and showed the little snake hatchling. He had told her about how Cleopatra was the queen of a mighty civilization and the sea krait decided she liked the name so she agreed to the name. Harry had taken to calling her Cleo for short.

The summer holidays soon started and Dudley had already broken more than half of his birthday presents. Harry was happy that school was over but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. They were all big and stupid, but Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, so he was the leader. So the rest of the gang was always up for a game of Dudley's favorite sport: Harry-Hunting.

This is why Harry spent as much of his time outside of the house wandering the neat suburbs of Little Whinging, his belt loop companion swaying to and fro under his shirt hissing happily at the warmth radiating from Harry's bare skin.

It was one of these times when Harry was roaming the deserted dusty streets that Cleopatra slithered up Harry's baggy t-shirt and poked her head out the neck line next to Harry's ear, still being covered by his dark wavy hair.

"_Green eyes, I miss swimming. Find a pool or lake for me to swim in." _Cleo flicked out her glistening black tongue and tickled Harry's ear.

"_There is a pond in the park if you wish to go there. It's just you're a salt water snake and there is only fresh water around here." _Harry absentmindedly stroked Cleopatra's smooth scaled head with a delicate finger.

"_It is fine. I am not a fish who depends of the saltiness of the sea. I breathe air like you. I have no need for salt." _Cleo hissed this in a matter-of-factly voice as if subtly hinting that Harry should find out more about her particular species.

Harry, on the other hand, was just glad that she could tend to herself at the moment because there was no way he would have been able to sneak her food and such with his relatives around.

After a ten minute walk, Harry and Cleo reached the park. The grass had suffered under the hose pipe ban and was yellowing under the cruel glare of the sun. The trees and some of the larger shrubs and bushes were still faring well because of their deep set roots, able to draw up the deep ground water which was not in reach of the smaller plants. So there was still a fair amount of greenery in the park.

A few people milled about in the oasis of green which was nestled in the hot mirage of tarmac and concrete. Most were too hot to be bothered by a small scruffy boy shuffling into the dense bushes over to the left side of the park.

Harry brushed through the scratchy branches of the undergrowth, not caring if they broke his pale skin. Cleo hissed in anticipation; she could smell the cool water that lurked just beyond the leafy wall.

As Harry broke through the thick green shade of the shrubbery, the two unlikely companions made it to the hidden pond. There was a larger pond set in the vast expanse of the yellowing grass, but it was exposed and people would soon see Cleo swimming in the water and freak out. It was shallow and grimy though, because people walking their dogs often let them swim in it.

However this shady hidden lagoon that Harry had found while running from Dudley's gang one time was perfect for Cleopatra. It was deep, cool and crystal clear reflecting the green canopy of leaves above.

Cleo hissed in pleasure as she slithered into the glassy surface of the water, causing ripples to spread out around her. Harry smiled and looked down at his little silver pendant. It always glowed more when he was near water. Right now it was shining like a fallen star.

"_This is perfect green eyes, will you join me?" _Cleo ducked under water and popped back up again the other side.

Harry giggled, _"No thanks, it's too cold for me and my aunt would be furious if I came back to the house sopping wet."_

Cleopatra stuck her head out of the water next to Harry who was crouched down by the edge of the pool and stared at him with her unblinking ice blue eyes. _"It's your loss green eyes." _

And she ducked back underwater, chasing the water beetles around.

The next morning at breakfast time Dudley was parading around the living room dressed in his new Smeltings School uniform for the family. Aunt Petunia was in floods of tears while his Uncle looked on with fierce pride, mumbling to himself about how this was the proudest moment of his life. Meanwhile Harry was trying very hard not to laugh; two of his ribs may have already cracked under the strain of containing the vicious giggles. He could hear a soft amused hiss from Cleo who was wrapped around his belt loop as well.

The family soon retreated into the kitchen while Harry made eggs, bacon, and sausages for breakfast. Uncle Vernon and Dudley sat down at the table and impatiently waited for the food to be cooked. After a couple of minutes waiting for the bacon to crisp at the edges, Harry set the food down in front of the male Dursley members and went to get himself some bread and cheese. Suddenly, they heard the click from the letter box and the flop of the mail.

"Get the post, Dudley" said Uncle Vernon from behind his newspaper.

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the post, boy."

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley," Uncle Vernon answered.

Harry dodged the stick and went to get the post. Three things lay on the doormat: a post card from Vernon's sister Marge, who was on holiday in the Isle of White, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and - a letter for Harry.

Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one in his whole life had ever written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives- he didn't belong to the library, so he never got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there couldn't be a mistake.

_**Mr H. Potter**_  
><em><strong>The Cupboard under the Stairs<strong>_  
><em><strong>4 Privet Drive<strong>_  
><em><strong>Little Whinging<strong>_  
><em><strong>Surrey<strong>_

The envelope was thick and heavy and made of yellowish parchment. The address was written in a flowing script with emerald green ink. Turning it over with shaking hands, Harry found it was sealed with purple wax which had a coat of arms stamped in it. A lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake all were surrounding a large "H".

"Hurry up boy!" A shout from the kitchen brought Harry back to reality. He was about to get up and return to the kitchen but he suddenly realized that the Dursley's wouldn't let him read his letter. They would just take it from him. So Harry slipped quietly into his cupboard and hid the letter under his mattress, returning back to the kitchen.

Harry was trying not to smirk while his uncle was waffling on about how his sister had eaten a funny whelk and moaning about bills. He had a letter! Harry's mind was spinning with possibilities. Maybe he had a hidden relative that wanted to take him away from these monsters, or maybe he had been given a scholarship for a special school for geniuses. He always got extremely high grades in school; highest of the year and several of the older years as he was told by his class tutor.

After breakfast, Harry acted as normal and cleared up the morning mess his relatives made. As soon as he finished wiping down the table, he retreated to his cupboard. He was grinning a little manically as he slid the letter out from under his bed, the weight comforting in his hands.

Harry slid a nail under the flap of the envelope and slid out the contents. It was also written on the same sort of yellowish parchment, just thinner.

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

_**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**_  
><em><strong>(Order of Merlin, first class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)<strong>_

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on the 1st of September. We will send an escort on the 31st of July to take you to Diagon Alley due to your Muggle upbringing.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall**_  
><em><strong>Deputy Headmistress<strong>_

Harry blinked several times and shook his head. Wizards and witches? Harry sighed, this was obviously a prank that had been pulled by Dudley. Mind you, it was extremely well done and Dudley couldn't possible have been able to pull this off. The balloon of hope that had swelled inside of Harry burst and the helium inside had turned to lead.

Sighing, Harry crumpled the letter and stuffed it back under his mattress, forgetting about it until the 31st of July.

On the 31st of July, the morning of Harry's eleventh birthday, a sharp rap on the door signaled the start of the life changing experiences Harry was about to well… experience.

Harry poked his pale face around the door of his cupboard, his now shoulder length hair (Petunia had given up wasting money on haircuts) swung around his delicate neck like a curtain of black ink. Cleo hissed softly in curiosity, her tongue tickling Harry's hip.

In the doorway stood a man who was about six foot tall with dark lanky hair that hung around his sallow face, coal black eyes and a hooked nose. He wasn't ugly just unfriendly looking. He was talking to Vernon whose flabby face was swiftly changing colors faster than a set of traffic lights. First a pasty white, then a flustered red, soon a boiling maroon that Harry knew meant "get out the way he's gonna blow!"

To Harry's surprise, the tall dark haired man just scowled and pushed past Vernon, who was gaping in his own doorway like a goldfish. To his astonishment, the man walked right down the hall and stopped at his cupboard.

He spoke in a deep drawl, "You are Harry Potter?"

"Yes sir." Harry went for the polite approach trying not to make the stranger angrier than he already was.

"This is where you sleep, in a cupboard even though there is a spare room in this house?" The man's onyx black eyes burned.

"Y-yes sir," Harry was starting to get scared. Maybe he was in trouble, he thought.

At this confirmation, the tall man straightened up and rounded on Vernon, who was cemented to the spot like a statue.

"HOW DARE YOU KEEP THE SON OF LILY EVANS LOCKED UP IN A CUPBOARD!" The man roared at Vernon with obvious anger. This strange man knew his mother?

"THIS IS CHILD ABUSE I SHALL HAVE YOU REPORTED TO THE MUGGLE AND WIZARD AUTHORITIES!" Vernon whimpered like a mouse that had been trodden on when the strange man announced this. His face was back to being a pasty white again.

The angry man then turned back to Harry, his face softened lightly but still contained anger, "Harry, my name is Severus Snape. I hope you got your letter about Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded. What the hell was going on? This man knew about that crazy letter as well.

"I suppose you probably discarded it thinking it a prank, but I assure you it is not. I myself am a wizard." This Severus bloke turned back to Vernon.

"I will be taking him with me so he can get his things ready for Hogwarts." Vernon opened his mouth as if he was going to protest, but swiftly closed it again when he got an angry glare from the so called wizard.

"Come along Harry, I will explain in a moment what we need to get so we are away from this…" He paused for a moment as if choosing an appropriate word to describe Vernon, "over-sized, hotheaded gorilla parading around as a man."

Harry giggled and Vernon continued with his impression of a goldfish.

"Come Harry." Severus beckoned with a hand and stepped outside. Harry followed after him; he was either being really brave or really stupid. He cared neither way.

Once out in the scorching sun, Severus lead Harry down the road slightly to the shaded area of a tall building.

"I'm sure you have many questions, so ask what you must then we shall be on our way." Severus sat on a nearby wall while Harry stayed standing.

"Umm... wizards?" was Harry's first question.

Snape snorted at the predictability of the question, "I should have guessed. There are witches and wizards living all over the world and about an eighth of the world's population are magical. Just we hide ourselves from the non-wizarding population or as wizards call it the muggle population. Because they would be wanting magical solutions to all there problems and would eventually turn against us like in the medieval period where witch burnings were common."

Harry nodded, "No offense sir, but how do I know you're not lying and this is not all one massive prank."

Snape drew a long thin stick from his sleeve and pointed it at a dry leaf. With a wave of this stick the leaf swelled, swiftly becoming shiny and sprouted several legs and a pair of antennae. A shiny brown beetle was now standing on Snape's palm when he somehow brought it to him without getting up. The wizard put it down on the wall and it scuttled away.

"Oh… that letter said I was a wizard. I can't possibly be one, sir. I think there is a mistake."

Severus smirked at the Potter boy. He could see Lily in him; the vibrant green eyes and the pale aristocratic features were almost exactly the same except they were on a male.

"Have you ever done strange things when you were hurt or scared?" Snape questioned the youth.

Harry nodded remembering the school roof accident. "Yes I can… oh wow, that is so cool!"

Severus looked down at the boy with raised eyebrows, "Yes... quite"  
>He stood up, Harry doing as he did. "We should be going to Diagon Alley to get your things. Take my arm and we will apparate." Harry took Snape's arm cautiously, wondering what he was planning to do.<p>

Harry then felt like he was being forced through a very tight tube and was encased in darkness. He couldn't breathe and he could hear angry hisses from Cleopatra as she was tugged along for the ride. As soon as it started, it was finished, and Harry blinked his eyes in the sudden light and noise.

He was standing in a bustling street full of the oddest people he had ever seen. There were little children running and screaming about, chucking each other a bright red ball. One man was pushing a cart with jars of leeches, salamanders and other slimy creatures Snape explained, calling out things like "get your cold blooded potions ingredients here!"

There was so much life and color. Harry was simply stunned and stood and stared, still tightly gripping Severus' sleeve.

"Well come one then, we have to go to Gringotts to get your money." Severus tugged his sleeve back and led Harry up the bustling cobbled street to a snowy white building.

"That Harry is a goblin." Said Severus when he saw Harry staring at the little creature in a red and gold uniform guarding the door.

Severus led Harry through the vast doors into a world of white marble. Approaching one of the goblins behind a desk, Severus talked in a low voice and handed over a key and a note apparently from a guy named Dumbledore for something in vault seven hundred and thirteen. Harry stayed quiet and asked no more questions trying to be polite, even though he thought his head might explode from all the new knowledge that was rushing into it.

A goblin named Griphook led Severus and Harry into a rough stone passage and into a mine cart, which whisked them all the way down to Harry's vault. To his utter astonishment it was full, bursting with loads of wizard money. There were several old books in the corner which Harry asked Severus about.

"I have some books?"

"It appears so; you can take them out if you want. I don't know what they would be about though."

Harry told the goblin that he would like to take out the books; Griphook agreed and took out the books as well as a large pouch full of money. They then went to this mysterious vault on Dumbledore's orders and Snape retrieved a grubby little package wrapped in brown paper and string. Harry once again asked no questions. Snape liked this, the boy actually had manners. He supposed there was more Lily in the boy than James and was willing try and accept him. He had promised to protect the boy after all.

After retrieving Harry's money, Severus escorted Harry to a robe shop, Madame Malkin's, for his school uniform.

"Harry, I am going to go pick up some potions ingredients while you get your robes for Hogwarts. I'll be back later. " Severus swooped away, his cloak flapping like a shadow. Harry entered the robe shop when he was completely out of site.

A squat smiling witch Harry presumed was Madame Malkin, hurried over to Harry.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here, another young man is being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back was a tall slim boy with an aristocratic face, skin paler than Harry's, with high cheekbones and melting frosted eyes. He was standing on a footstool while another witch pinned up his long black robes. Madame Malkin stood Harry on another stool and started to pin his own robe up to the right lengths.

"Hello" said the boy, "Hogwarts too?"

Harry smiled, his white teeth showing, "Yes."

The pale boy started to speak again but was interrupted by a scared shriek from Madame Malkin.

"_Watch where your stick those pins woman!" _Cleo stuck her head out of Harry's neck line and hissed angrily at the witch.

"Oh gods I am so sorry. I forgot she was there. She stays so still, you know?" Harry gently slid Cleo out of his neck line and wrapped her around his neck like a scarf.

"Oh my," gasped Madame Malkin who was clutching her chest, "You don't have anything else hiding in your clothes do you?" The pale boy giggled and his icy eyes flashed with humor.

"No ma'am. I'm sorry." Harry shot the other boy a smirk.

"Okay then, make sure it doesn't bite me." Harry nodded and whispered to Cleo. The witches didn't hear Harry hissing to his snake, but the boy did. He tilted his blond head and raised a delicate eyebrow at Harry, who just shrugged at him.

"So do you play quidditch at all?" The pale boy turned his head towards Harry, puffing air at a strand of starlight blond hair that had fallen over his face.

"Err no," Harry answered back embarrassingly. It wasn't his fault though he didn't know what a quidditch was.

"Oh I do. Anyway, what sort of snake do you have there? She's very pretty. It is a she right? I don't want to offend it; sounded rather vicious there." The boy jerked his head in Madame Malkins direction.

"_That grey eyes has got sense. He complimented me and knew I was female. He would be a good friend green eyes and I can smell that black eyes on him."_

Harry kissed the top of Cleo's head, seeming to agree with her, "She is a sea krait. They are salt water sea snakes but can live on land. They are also extremely venomous. And her name is Cleopatra."

"Oh wow that's so cool! I wanted to get a snake but my father said they are really hard to earn the trust of and you can only really control them if you are a parseltongue. So I got an eagle owl instead." The fair-haired boy looked at Cleo rather wistfully.

"Parseltongue?" Harry frowned.

"Parseltongue is the language of snakes. If you're a parselmouth, you can speak to them and they understand you. But they are really rare and at the moment there is only one parselmouth in the whole wizarding population and that's the Dark Lord." The blond boy spoke with a superior tone in his voice.

Harry was about to ask who that was when Severus reentered the robe shop and the boy on the stool called out,

"Sev what are you doing here?" The blond boy blinked his startling grey eyes at the dark haired man.

"Hello Draco, I am escorting young Harry here around Diagon Alley," Severus gestured to Harry with a pale hand.

"Your name is Draco?"

"Your name is Harry?"

Draco and Harry both said this at the same time.

"Um you go first." Harry said.

"So your name is Harry?" Draco stood off the stool by near his robe witch.

"Yeah Harry Potter." Harry didn't understand why Draco was staring at him as if he had three heads when he said his name, but a man with long silky hair the same color as Draco's walked into the shop and caught the young blond's attention. Harry presumed that this man was Draco's father judging by the looks, but his eyes were not grey, but a whirling blizzard of icy blue.

"Father." Draco smiled.

"Lucius," Severus bowed his head in greeting. He reciprocated the gesture to Snape.

"Come Draco we must be going. Your mother wishes for you to come and get your wand, and now who is your friend?" Lucius Malfoy curiously asked his son.

Lucius looked Harry up and down. He was a very beautiful boy, pearl white skin which almost seemed to glow, long black silky hair which framed his thin face and green eyes that were brighter than twin emerald stones. He definitely had the looks of a pureblood wizard.

"This is Harry Potter father." Lucius smiled coldly. Even better, he thought.

"Well then Mr. Potter have you got your wand?"

Harry shook his head, Cleo hissing in irritation at being shaken about.

Severus gave a side long glance to Lucius and they shared a cold smirk.

"Why don't you join Draco and myself then?" Lucius smirked at Harry, his piercing blue eyes flashing in something far from being generous.

**So how was that? It was longer than I expected, oh well I hope you enjoyed it. Oh and guess what… oh gods this is sad but I just had to tell someone and if I told my family they would laugh at me. The guy I have been crushing on for about three months asked me out! I had no idea he liked guys! I thought he was totally straight, but how wrong I was. :D**

**~Oddness~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: The Perevell Curse**

**Author: The Oddness**

**Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone including the emerald eyed child.**

**A/N: Hi! Chapter three is here! Also I must give the world's biggest thank you to my new Beta 'FallForYourType'. She is the best :D**

**(**_Italics_**) mean Parseltongue.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R and not me.**

_Recap: "Why don't you join Draco and myself then?" Lucius smirked at Harry, his piercing blue eyes flashing in something far from being generous._

Harry looked at Snape to see if this was alright. The dark haired man nodded once, making his lank hair fall over his face.

Draco grinned and hurried over to Harry. "Great!" He exclaimed and the two boys followed the two full grown wizards out into the bustling street.

Harry smiled back at Draco when he asked, "Yeah, so where do we go to get our wands?"

Draco's father cut into the boys' conversation, "We are going to go to Ollivander's, the only place to go to purchase your wand and it's just down the road a bit." Mr. Malfoy gestured with a raise of his hand. Harry caught sight of several glinting rings on the man's slim fingers, admiring the regal look they gave the man. "So Mr. Potter, you were raised by muggles I believe?"

Harry nodded, "Yes sir. I live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin."

"What was it like living amongst these muggle filth?" Lucius was genuinely curious, wondering why the boy was not living with family friends of the wizarding world instead.

"Well my family hates me, so living with them is a nightmare. But I know some nice people like my teacher. I don't have any muggle friends because my cousin is a bully to all the other children. They are afraid to befriend me because he doesn't like me." Harry's face fell slightly at remembering his loneliness. He had never had a proper friend until he had Cleo.

Draco couldn't contain his horror, "Your stupid muggle family dares to disrespect a wizard! That's preposterous!"

"Hush now Draco. We all know that it's an abomination, but there is no need to lose composure. You are a pureblood; you must always remember that." Lucius placed a hand on his son's shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. Harry could see the love emanating from the two blonds.

"Yes father." Draco flushed slightly from embarrassment but soon regained his aristocratic poise.

Severus who had stayed silent throughout this conversation spoke up, "We're here."

Harry looked up, eyes lighting in anticipation. A wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to the whole time.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters above the door read: **Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. **A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window display. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a spindly chair in the cobweb covered corner.

Harry glanced around the shabby shop. It didn't look like anything special at first glance; thousands of narrow boxes were piled neatly all the way up to the ceiling, but Harry could feel that the shop was magical. The air seemed to be alive with static energy and the atmosphere was like the calm before a storm. Even the very dust and silence of the shop hummed with hidden magic.

A soft voice that matched the dust floated through the still air, "Good afternoon."

Harry and Draco jumped, small puffs of dust rose at their feet with the sudden movements. Lucius and Severus merely stood in the shadows, stiff as marble.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shone like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Draco awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man, "Yes, yes I have been expecting the youngest Malfoy for a while now." His pale eyes glistened as he took in the sight of the two boys, "You look much like your father I see. It seems only yesterday he was in here buying his first wand. Eleven and a half inches long, made of birch wood with the core of Dragon heart-string. Good wand for curses I believe Lucius?" The man Harry presumed to be Ollivander turned to look at the elder Malfoy.

"Yes, it still serves me well to this day." Lucius smiled coldly, his white teeth standing out in the darkness of the wand shop.

"Good good," Ollivander nodded his head, cotton wool hair bobbing slightly. The wand-maker then turned his silvery eyes on Harry and frowned slightly as if working out who he was. "Aha. Mr. Potter isn't it?"

"Yes sir." Harry wished the man would blink; those moon-like eyes were rather creepy. Ollivander looked down slightly at Harry's glass pendant that had worked its way out of his shirt and was now glinting in the darkness. His milky eyes widened in surprise, but he soon masked his emotions and the wand maker's face was back to being calm and serene once again. But he kept shooting Harry odd looks form then on.

"Hmm I see. I will serve Mr. Malfoy first." The wand maker whisked off into the darkness of his shop and returned a few moments later with no less than seven wand boxes.

"Which is your wand hand?"

"My left." Draco held out his left arm and Ollivander handed him the first wand. Draco jumped and let out a yelp as he quickly retracted his hand and promptly dropped the wand.

"It shocked me!" Severus smirked and Lucius let out a small chuckle after Draco's amusing reaction. Lucius answered his son. "The wand chooses the wizard Draco, that one apparently didn't like you."

"Yes, yes the magical core of a wand matches up with the magical aura of the wizard and that one obviously didn't attune with yours." Ollivander slid out another wand and handed it to Draco. This time nothing happened at all and Ollivander snatched it back and replaced it with a longer wand made of dark wood.

"Here try this one Mr. Malfoy, exactly eleven inches, Acacia and the core is a feather of a Hippogriff."

Draco let out a small gasp as he clasped onto the wand and his hair stood on end as the wand let out a whistle that sounded like a kettle boiling. A spurt of green and blue sparks shot out the tip of the wand.

"Ahh yes there we go. Seven galleons please." Lucius drew some money out of a silk lined pocket on the inside of his emerald cloak and handed it to Ollivander, who clicked his fingers and it disappeared, but Harry heard the clinking sound of an old-fashioned till opening from the dusty depths of the shop.

"Your turn Mr. Potter," Ollivander beckoned Harry closer and handed him a wand. "Beechwood and dragon heart-string?"

The empty wand boxes that were littered around flew up in the air in a strong angry wind. Ollivander made a tutting sound and took the wand from Harry.

"No no no, try this. Maple and phoenix feather, seven inches quite whippy. Try-" Harry tried but he had hardly raised the wand when it was snatched back again.

Harry tried more and more wands; the pile of boxes was steadily mounted higher and higher.

"Tricky customer eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere – I wonder, now – yes, why not. Unusual combination, Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth tingling up his arm and as he swished the wand, a fountain of silver and green sparks showered out of the tip.

"Congratulations, very good…" Ollivander paused and stared hard at Harry, "Curious… how very curious."

The wand maker took the gold galleons from Harry and handed him his wand still muttering, "Curious… curious."

Harry piped up, "Sorry sir, but what is curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with a pale stare.

"I remember every wand I have ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every. Single. Wand. It so happens that the phoenix that whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar."

Harry swallowed, Draco gasped, Lucius gaped in a very un-Malfoy like way, and Severus sighed and face-palmed himself.

Ollivander continued "Yes, thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard; remember that. I think we might expect great things from you, Mr Potter… after all He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."

Harry shivered; he decided he didn't like Ollivander all that much.

Before Harry could ask who was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and tell the man that he had gotten his scar in a car crash, Severus ushered him out of the shop, the Malfoys swiftly following behind.

Severus kept Harry busy, buying all his other things that he needed for school. Harry didn't even have a chance to ask about his scar until he was being dropped back off at his front door again, the Malfoys long gone.

Before they reached the front garden of number four, Privet Drive, Harry spoke, "Severus?"

"Yes Harry?" Snape would never admit it, but the quiet Potter boy had grown on him somewhat. He was so much like Lily it was rather uncanny. The only Potter traits he could find were the bad eye sight and the color of Harry's hair.

"Why did Ollivander tell me a person gave me my scar? I got it in the car crash my parents died in." Harry irritably rubbed his forehead.

"What?" Severus frowned, his face flashing in silent fury, "Car crash!"

Harry paled; was it something he said? "Sorry I-I've been told that my p-parents died in a car crash and I got this scar." Harry pointed to his head.

Severus suppressed his anger when he realized he had scared Harry, "Oh Merlin no. Your parents were murdered Harry, by the Darkest wizard since Grindewald. He tried to kill you as well, but for some reason that nobody can explain, you got away without a scratch except for your scar."

Harry stared with wide jewel-like eyes up at Severus. He felt like he was going to cry with this sudden news. All his life, his aunt and uncle had told him that his father was a drunk and that he had crashed the car killing his whore of a wife and nearly killing his no good son. Vernon often said, "Why couldn't your father have done us a favor and killed you off as well?"

In fact, a single crystalline tear ran down Harry's cheek. He quickly wiped it away, but little did he know that his loud sorrowful thoughts had been heard by the Legilimens.

"Harry, whatever your family tells you, your mother was a great woman and your father was… also good even though we had our rough patches. Now I will make sure that your family won't hurt you, I will come and pick you up on the first of September to take you to Hogwarts. Here is your train ticket; keep it safe."

Harry looked up into Snape's coal like eyes. They didn't seem so cold any more. "Y-yes sir."

"Alright and farewell Mr. Potter. I will see you at Hogwarts." Snape disapparated with a loud crack and Harry was left to walk up to his house with his new things. Surprisingly for the whole month of August, not once did anyone in his family hit him.

Dudley was now so scared of Harry he would no longer stay in the same room with him, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon just shut him in his cupboard as much as possible. So Harry had taken to waking up early to cook breakfast and getting out the house as fast as possible and taking Cleo with him. He brought along with him several of his school books; Harry had totally forgotten about the books that he had gotten out of his Gringotts vault. But escaping early was worth missing his lunch time meals in order to be free from the stifling heat of his stuffy little cupboard.

On the last day of August, Harry managed to wrangle an old suit case from the upstairs closet to pack all his school things in. In went the books, the collapsible cauldron, his school robes, the pair of leathery dragon hide gloves, and the few clothes he owned. It was quite weighty and Harry could barely move it, but the wheels on the bottom helped.

Getting to sleep that night was extremely hard for Harry; his stomach was writhing about as if he had swallowed a snake. It felt as if the darkness of the hot August night dragged on for an eternity but eventually Harry woke up to a soft hiss in his ear.

"_Oi green eyes wake up! Get up. I can almost smell the sun. We're going to a railway today… whatever that is." _Cleopatra was curled around Harry's head like a crown when he woke up. She stayed there swaying about as he got dressed. When Harry had slipped on his most presentable clothes, she slithered down his top and hooked herself around the belt loops. Cleo had grown a lot over the few months she had been staying with Harry and was now about eighteen inches long. This sprung a question in Harry's mind.

"_Cleo, how old are you?" _

"_Good question green eyes. I am definitely under a year old and I hatched about two weeks before you found me. Or nearly sat on me more like it." _Cleo let out a hissy snigger and Harry frowned, _"So I must be about three months old." _Cleo hissed up back at Harry.

"_So you're still really young?" _Harry hissed back.

"_Technically yes, but snakes mature a lot faster than humans. You humans depend on your mothers until you have seen well over sixteen summers." _Cleo gripped tighter around Harry's waist as he lugged his school trunk out of the house and to the garden to wait for Severus.

"_Hmm, yes you're right. Humans are a bit pathetic compared to other animals." _Harry sat on the red brick garden wall of number four, Privet Drive.

"_You don't depend on others green eyes, and yet your family depends on you. They will struggle without you." _Cleo hissed from under Harry's shirt.

"_I'll take that as a compliment." _Harry smiled as he heard the soft hiss of contentment from Cleo as the heat of the morning sun filtered through his thin shirt and reached her scales.

Harry waited for Severus for another ten minutes until the loud crack of somebody apparating told him that he had arrived. Harry looked up and smiled at the black cloaked wizard that was standing before him.

"Good morning Severus." Cleo hissed her own greeting from under Harry's shirt.

"Good morning Harry. I will apparate you to the train station, but I am not going on the train myself. The mere thought of traveling with students repulses me. You have your ticket?" true to his word Severus looked nauseated at the very thought of traveling amongst his pupils.

"Alright Severus." Harry grinned brightly; this was really happening. He was leaving the Dursley's to go into a world of magic and people who accepted him.

"Harry, before we leave here, I need to inform you of something. I thought it best to tell you when the Malfoy's had left. It deals with a rather delicate matter that you probably want to be told in private." Severus' face creased into a frown.

Harry didn't say anything; he just nodded.

"You recall that day when you told me that your parents had died in a car crash and I told you that they had been murdered?"

Harry nodded again, "How could I forget."

"Well it's a bit more complex than just a simple act of murderous intent. As I said before, they were killed by the darkest wizard known to wizard-kind. He was so feared by the wizarding population, they took to calling him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The name he took was the Dark Lord Voldemort. But it is frowned upon to speak his name, yet most believe him dead."

Severus paused for breath. His coal-like eyes were stony.

"Nonetheless, it all began about twenty years ago when the Dark Lord started to look for followers; he was getting exceedingly powerful so followers were in abundance. They all wanted a bit of power to lord over the average witch or wizard. These were dark days for the wizarding population you never knew who to trust. And if anyone tried to stand up to him, they were killed horrifically. There was no where you could hide; the Dark Lord had spies and assassins everywhere."

Harry nodded for Severus to continue. The man looked almost pained as if deciding on something; his face was creased into a sharp grimace.

The black-eyed wizard cleared his throat and he masked his emotions once more; his face becoming pitiless once again. "Well no one really knows the reason why he tried to kill your parents. But on that Halloween night when you were only a year old, The Dark Lord murdered your mother and father in cold blood." Harry couldn't help but notice hiding behind Severus' cold mask of indifference, there was pain dancing in his eyes.

"But the mystery is that the Dark Lord tried to kill you as well. You were just a baby. But something happened that night that has never been discovered why. The Dark Lord vanished leaving no mark except that wound on your forehead. That is not an ordinary scar Harry; that is the mark of somebody who has survived the killing curse."

Harry stared blankly at Snape who was standing as still and cold as an ice sculpture. Something painful was going on inside his head. Harry screwed up his eyes and a blinding flash of emerald green light burst behind his eyes and a cold cruel high laugh rang in his ears. The memory of that night came rushing back to him like a tidal wave.

This was when Harry spoke up, "So… so this Dark Lord is dead, because of me?" His Avada Kedavra green eyes glinted up at Severus.

"Some believe he has ceased to exist, but I believe him to still be alive somewhere, biding his time on which to extract his revenge. Harry, you are quite famous in the wizarding world because they believe you vanquished the most powerful wizard know to the magical world. I thought it best for you to know your own history and not to hear it from the students. They have quite… overactive imaginations."

Harry looked at the yellowing grass he was standing on when he replied back, "Thank you for telling me."

"I thought it best. Now come on and grip you trunk tightly. You don't want to lose it during the apparation." Harry gripped onto Severus' offered arm and winced as he felt like he was being forced through a tight tube once again. Little did Harry know that Severus had left out the main part of the story; that he, Severus Snape, was the one that caused his parents death by telling the Dark Lord of the prophecy.

When Harry opened his eyes again he was hit with a vast amount of movement, color, and noise. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said **Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. **

"Well then I will see you at Hogwarts Harry, and you must call me Professor Snape or sir at school." With those parting words Snape apparated again, leaving Harry on his own in the vast platform buzzing with the sheer amount of people. Harry started to feel quite claustrophobic at being pushed and bumped about by so many bodies.

Harry peered through the haze of smoke from the steam engine and tried to make his way to the doors of the great train.

As Harry was trying to lug his trunk on-board, a red headed boy about his age pushed passed him without even looking. Harry nearly tumbled over, but a pair of identical twins with the same red hair called out and balanced him again with a slight push of his back, and lifted Harry's trunk onto the train.

They spoke in unison, "You alright? Ignore him; our little brother Ron has no manners."

Harry blinked at them, maybe he was seeing double because these twins were the most identical he had ever seen.

"Y-yeah I'm fine thanks." Harry gave them a shy smile which they returned with matching grins.

"Well, see you 'round!" They spoke in unison once again and disappeared into the bustle of the train, leaving Harry rather bemused.

Harry wondered off looking for place to sit in the train. As he waded through the sea of students, Harry caught sight of an empty compartment and dove for it. He preferred to be on his own for now.

Harry stuffed his trunk into a corner and extracted Cleo from his belt loops so he wouldn't squash her when he sat down. Once she was safely twined around Harry's wrist, he sat down on one of the seats. Then Cleo unraveled herself from Harry's hand and curled up in Harry's lap, occasionally letting out hisses of contentment.

Harry extracted one of his school books to read for the journey. It was for potions; Harry smiled as he was glad that Severus would be at Hogwarts. The man had grown on him greatly. Harry had been reading for five minutes when he was disturbed by the freckled redhead who nearly knocked him over when getting on the train.

Harry looked up from his book as he swept his inky hair over his shoulder.

"Anyone sitting there?" The boy asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry, "Everywhere else is full."

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down, Harry resuming to reading his book. The redhead, whom Harry remembered to be called Ron according to the twins, was staring out the window at the station which was slipping by as the train picked up speed.

Ron broke the silence "My name's Ron by the way. What's your name?"

Harry blinked his emerald eyes at Ron, who was looking at him expectantly, "My name's Harry."

"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't really want to engage the boy in conversation. He was being rather predictable and he was quite happy reading his book thank you very much.

Harry was about to answer when Cleo raised her head from Harry's lap and stared at the redheaded boy with eyes as blue as the sky. Ron jumped in surprise and his face paled rather comically.

"_He smells bad, needs a wash. Look, he's got dirt on his nose." _Cleo flicked her glistening black tongue at the scared boy, who was now backing up into his seat like a cornered rabbit.

Harry stroked Cleo's head, "It's alright, she won't hurt you." This didn't seem to relieve any of Ron's distress and he just whimpered.

"Honestly, she's just a snake. Aren't you Cleo? You won't bite Ron will you?" Harry looked at Cleo expectantly, who gave him the best raised eyebrows expression a snake could give. Then Cleopatra shook her head signaling to Ron that she wouldn't bite him.

Ron relaxed in his chair, "You sure…?"

Harry nodded and Cleo let out a hissy snake giggle, and then curled back up on Harry's lap to go to sleep.

"So do you come from a family of Slytherins then?" Ron had an almost disgusted look on his face when he said Slytherin and eyed Harry and Cleo with speculation.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry remarked as he returned to his book. He thought it best to ignore the rude Weasley for now.

"You know the houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin?" Ron pushed at the conversation not noticing Harry's lack of wanting to continue speaking.

Harry shook his head.

Ron was about to speak some more when a familiar starlight blond head poked into the compartment.

"There you are Harry! I've been looking for you for ages!" Draco smiled at Harry who grinned back.

Harry was about to speak but Ron interrupted him before he had a chance to speak, "You're friends with a Malfoy?"

Harry tilted his head to the side, "Yes, so what?"

"They are all dark wizards! His father," Ron jerked his head in the direction of Draco, "was You-Know-Who's right hand man!"

Draco looked outraged and was about to retaliate but Harry got there first, "I don't think it's polite to go accusing people of things you don't know about for sure. And yes, I am friends with Draco. I met him in Diagon Alley and I think he and his father are very pleasant." Harry crossed his arms and Cleo hissed menacingly from his lap, causing Ron to pale again.

Ron gave the best sneer he could, "Oh I bet your right up there with the Malfoy's, aren't you? Probably one of those pureblood praising death-eaters as well?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Harry stood up, dismissing the red headed boy, looping Cleo around his neck like a scaly necklace.

"Oh I bet you do! You Slytherins always fib though. I wouldn't expect anything except lies from you!" Ron scowled; his face became scrunched up in anger. In Harry's opinion, it was rather ugly.

"_Green eyes if we don't leave soon I might bite him. He's getting on my nerves." _Cleo bared her needle like fangs at Ron and he immediately shut up and backed into the corner again.

Draco grabbed hold of Harry suitcase, "I suggest you come with me back to my compartment where there's nobody else there. You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort."

Harry looked at Ron again, who was sneering at him and Draco.

"Alright, hopefully it will smell better in there." Harry said this for the benefit of Cleo, who hissed back at him her tongue flickering on his collarbone. Harry followed Malfoy out of the compartment and back to his own.

Draco put Harry's trunk in the corner of his compartment.

"You don't want to go making friends with the Weasley's Harry. Father says they are brutish and greedy." Draco fell gracefully back into one of the chairs and rested his legs upon the opposite seat like a prince. Harry took the seat next to the window.

"That Ron did seem awfully impolite. And he was scared of beautiful Cleo." Harry stroked Cleo with a delicate finger; Harry felt the vibrations of her delighted hisses in his chest.

"Yes she is very pretty, may I pet her?" Draco took his legs off the opposite chair and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

"_Grey eyes can stroke me if he wishes." _

Harry nodded and untwined Cleo from his neck as she slithered from his outstretched arm and onto Draco's lap.

Draco beamed and traced a finger repeatedly over Cleo's head.

Harry returned to reading while Draco was rather preoccupied with the gorgeous striped serpent curled up on his lap.

The two boys and one snake enjoyed each other's company in silence until a loud voice echoed throughout the train.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately."

Draco would have jumped up, but the snake on his lap prevented him, "We have to get dressed into our school robes now then."

Harry's head jerked up from the potions book. He was at least half way through it now.

"Oh yes, I was so engrossed in the book, I forgot!" Harry relieved Draco of Cleo and set her on one of the spare seats as the two boys slipped on their black school robes.

A few minutes later, the train slowed to a halt. People pushed their ways towards the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Cleo hissed in displeasure and burrowed her way under Harry's shirt to leach his warmth, where she wrapped around his belt loops once more. A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and a loud booming voice called out.

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" A great giant of a man was standing in the center of the platform calling out for the students. Harry and Draco glanced at each other and made their way over to him.

"C'mon, follow me – anymore firs'-years? Mind yer step now! Firs'-years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed the giant man with the lantern down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them; Harry thought that there must be thick walls of trees there. Nobody spoke much; Draco and Harry keeping close to each other. A friendly face amongst the strangers and the strange new landscape was more comforting to Harry then he would have expected.

'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the lantern man called.

There was a loud "Oooh" when a few students broke through the path.

The narrow path had opened suddenly to the edge of a great black lake. Perched on top of a high rocky outcrop, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The lantern man shouted out, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Draco were followed onto their boat by a tall, handsome, tanned boy that introduced himself as Blaze Zabini and a short girl with a floaty brown hair named Daphne Greengrass.

"Everyone in?" Shouted the lamp man, who had a boat to himself, "Righ' then – FORWARD!" he bellowed.

And the little fleet of boats moved off, gliding across the lake like an odd troop of water birds.

A couple of minutes into the boat ride, the lantern man called out again, "Heads down!"

Everyone bent their heads as they reached the cliff edge and the boats carried them through a curtain of thick ivy. They were swept along a long dark tunnel that seemed to be leading them right under the castle to a rocky underground harbor. They all scrambled out onto the rocks and pebbles that were scattered along the long weedy bay.

They trudged up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a huge wooden door.

"Everyone here? Good." The lantern man raised a huge fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

**A/N: Phew! That was a long chapter... for me anyway *collapses from exhaustion* I hope you enjoyed it because I certainly did.**

**Once more I must thank my wonderful, amazing, remarkable beta 'FallForYourType' *huggles* THANK YOU! Without her, my story would be a jumble of dyslexic grammar errors and horrible spelling mistakes.**

**~Oddness~ X**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: The Perevell Curse**

**Author: The Oddness**

**Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone; including the emerald eyed child.**

**A/N: Hi chapter four is here! Also I must give the world's biggest thank you to my superb Beta 'FallForYourType' she beta'd my story even though she was sick with the flu D:**

_**(Italics)**_** mean Parseltongue.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R and not me. Also, there will be sentences from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in this chapter as well as Chapter three previously.**

…

_Recap: "Everyone here? Good." The lantern man raised a huge fist and knocked three times on the castle door._

…

The gigantic oak door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald robes stood there. She was middle aged woman with a stern expression on her face and she had her hair up in a tight bun.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall." The giant of a man boomed out, his voice echoing in the stony cavern.

"Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here." McGonagall pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, which made the light in the hall flicker and dance, casting distorting shadows on the pale stone. The ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent white marble staircase led to the upper floors.

Harry and Draco stuck close together as they followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices to his right like a vast swarm of locusts buzzing in the sun. But Professor McGonagall showed them to a small empty chamber off the edge of the hall. The first years all bunched together like sardines in a tin.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall in a clipped stern voice, "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you all take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitories, and spend free time in your house common room."

McGonagall eyed the students with sharp cat-like pupils which startled Harry a bit and he couldn't help but stare. Cleo hissed from under his shirt.

"_That woman smells faintly of feline… maybe she has a cat."_

Harry just shrugged and continued to listen.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

The stern looking professor looked around the stone room full of quivering first years and continued her speech.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on a round faced boy's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and her gaze landed as well on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously started pulling his fingers through his inky hair trying to get out as many knots as possible.

"I will return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

As Harry was furiously trying to make his hair presentable a girl with ringleted curly brown hair came over to him and tutted.

"You're doing it wrong. I myself have high maintenance hair and if you go dragging your hands through it like that you'll get split ends." The girl was rather pretty except her front teeth stuck out a bit, but Harry noted she had braces; so she was most probably from a muggle family like him. Her hair was a gold-ish brown and fell in ringlets that seemed to have a life of their own and bounced around like springs. The girl had deep brown, melted chocolate eyes that were brimming with excitement about starting at a magical school.

"I know a good charm that will straighten out any knots in your hair if you want me to give it a go." She smiled, the braces on her teeth were a bright purple colour, and she must have seen the slightly alarmed look on Harry's face so she spoke up again. "Don't worry, I've done it on myself a few times on the train just for practice and it works wonders!"

Harry cleared his throat, "Um… alright then." She beamed and drew out a light wood wand from her sleeve.

"Alright hold still. _Corrigo_!" She twitched her wrist in a flick like movement. Harry felt as if somebody was gently combing his hair and then the girl stepped back to admire her work.

"There we go, it looks wonderful. My name's Hermione by the way." Hermione held out a hand for Harry to shake.

Harry smiled back and accepted her hand, "My name's Harry, nice to meet you."

Cleo decided it was time she made a contribution to the conversation and stuck her head out of the sleeve Harry was shaking Hermione's hand with. The poor girl jumped and quickly retracted her hand but surprisingly she didn't scream.

"_Hmmm brown eyes smells like mint toothpaste and shampoo." _Cleo flicked her shiny black tongue in Hermione's direction.

Harry quickly apologized, "I am so sorry about that!" Harry scowled at the banded sea snake that was wriggling back up his sleeve, "Cleo stays so still most of the time I forget she's there. Then when I least expect it, she decides to make an appearance out of one of the various openings in my clothes… she really spooked Madam Malkin when I was getting my robes done." Harry let out a nervous laugh.

Hermione giggled and smiled, "It's okay, I don't mind snakes."

Hermione peered at the sea snake with curious, molten brown eyes, "What species is she?"

Draco put into the chat after watching the conversation between Harry and Hermione with growing amusement, "She's a sea krait, right Harry?"

"Yeah she is. Her name is Cleopatra. I named her after-" Harry was about to explain to Hermione about the queen of Egypt when the brown-eyed girl got there first.

"The famous queen of Egypt!" Squealed Hermione in delight, "She was born in sixty nine B.C. in Alexandria, Cleopatra was thought to be the last ever proper Pharaoh and-" Hermione seemed to realise what she was doing and abruptly stopped and flushed pink.

Draco gaped slightly, "Amazing! You guys should get on fine; a couple of brain-boxes."

"Well not really, I've haven't had time to read the entire potions book yet!" Hermione fretted to herself.

Harry replied, "I've read the first half; it's really fascinating," Hermione nodded her head in enthusiasm for Harry to continue speaking, and Harry was happy to oblige and was just as thrilled to have somebody who liked learning as much as he did, "There is this one potion that can cure boils and-"

Harry was interrupted by a sharp voice "Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned, "Now form a line and follow me."

Harry's heart started to flutter in his chest like a caged moth as he got in line behind Hermione's bushy curls, Draco right behind him. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a grand pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry looked on in wonder at the strange splendid place that he had just entered. It was lit with thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The shining golden plates on the wood of the tabletops glinted like roman shields.

McGonagall lead them up to the front of the hall facing the other students, with the professors table behind them.

To distract himself from the hundreds of staring faces before him, Harry looked up at the ceiling, a carpet of velvety black sky was stretched out above them, dotted with twinkling stars.  
>Harry heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."<p>

Harry blinked several times, it was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all.

As Harry looked back down again, Professor McGonagall set down a four-legged stool in front of them. On the stool, she set a pointed wizards hat. This hat was patched and frayed and covered in dust; Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

Harry's mind speculated with different scenarios he might have to pull off in front of the whole school. Maybe he had to pull a rabbit out of it or something?

Harry noticed that everyone was staring at the hat so he stared too. After a couple of seconds complete silence, the hat twitched and at the brim of the hat a rip opened like a mouth – and the hat began to sing.

"_Oh you may not think me pretty,  
>But don't judge on what you see,<br>I'll eat myself if you can find  
>A smarter hat than me.<br>You can keep your bowlers black,  
>Your top hats sleek and tall,<br>For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
>And I can cap them all.<br>There's nothing hidden in your head  
>The Sorting Hat can't see,<br>So try me on and I will tell you  
>Where you ought to be. <em>

_You might belong in Gryffindor,  
>Where dwell the brave at heart,<br>Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
>Set Gryffindors apart;<br>You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
>Where they are just and loyal,<br>Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
>And unafraid of toil;<br>Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
>if you've a ready mind,<br>Where those of wit and learning,  
>Will always find their kind;<br>Or perhaps in Slytherin  
>You'll make your real friends,<br>Those cunning folks use any means  
>To achieve their ends. <em>

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
>And don't get in a flap!<br>You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
>For I'm a Thinking Cap!"<em>

The whole hall burst into applause and Harry quickly joined in. The hat bowed to each of the four tables and then went still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat," Draco whispered to Harry.

Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than doing a spell, but he did wish he could have tried it on without everyone watching.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink faced girl with pigtails stumbled forward, put on the hat, which fell down right over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause – "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

More and more people were getting sorted and joining their house tables, while the ever dwindling group of first years at the front just became more and more nervous.

McGonagall called out, "Granger, Hermione!" Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" Shouted the hat. Hermione was positively glowing when she took her seat next to Terry Boot who had been sorted earlier.

Malfoy swaggered forward when it was his turn and as soon as the hat touched his head it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join the Slytherin table and he sat amongst his fellow snakes waiting in anticipation for Harry to be sorted.

The names sped past and Harry was almost convinced his name would never arrive but before he knew it Professor McGonagall called it out.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward whispers suddenly broke out amongst the students like wildfire.

"Potter did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning their necks to get a good look at him.

"Hmm," Said a small voice in his ear, "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of intelligence, I see. Brave but enough sense to back down when you're outmatched. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, already made a friend in Slytherin I see; Mr. Malfoy I presume. Hmm the Malfoy's are very high in the social ranking of wizards Mr. Potter, connections are everything when you're in a house of serpents – oh my, what is that…"

The hat sounded surprised, and seemed to be thinking very hard. After a long pause it spoke up again.

"Oh you don't know do you little snakey? If I were you I'd read those books you got out of your vault they will – ah – shed some light on that pendant of yours… well back to business it better be SLYTHERIN!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole Hall. Harry took off the hat and walked shakily towards the house with the green banners hanging above it in midair. Harry took a seat next to Malfoy who beamed at him, Harry grinned back, mulling over what the hat had said to him. Read the books he got out of Gringotts? How did it know about them? _Well,_ Harry thought, _it can see into my head. _Harry pondered on it no further and decided to read the books as soon as he could.

Harry could see the high table properly now. At the end nearest him, Harry caught the glinting black eyes of Snape who gave Harry a slight nod of the head. Harry smiled at him. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a tall-backed gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. He was looking straight at Harry with a calculating almost disappointed expression on his face. Harry frowned. Why would he be disappointed? Harry shrugged at this, reminding himself what does Dumbledore's opinion matter to him anyway.

There were also scandalized whispers washing through the hall,

"Harry Potter a Slytherin!"

"We've got no hope."

Harry tried to block them out and to his surprise it worked, and they soon died down. The whisperers' attentions were soon taken up by the rest of the sorting.

Now there were only three people left; 'Turpin, Lisa' became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was a pale green now and Harry crossed his fingers under the table praying that the rude Weasly boy was in a different house. Harry smirked as he got his wish.

The hat shouted, "GRIFFYNDOR!"

Harry clapped a little less enthusiastically for Ron than he had everyone else. Blaze Zabini, the boy who had sat in the boat with him and Draco, made Slytherin as well, and went to sit next to Daphne Greengrass further along the table. He sent a dashing smile at Harry and Draco, who both grinned back at him.

Harry looked down at his glinting gold plate, realizing he hadn't eaten anything since that slice of bread at breakfast. His stomach protested loudly, causing Draco to laugh and Harry to flush pink.

Albus Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands for attention, "Welcome!" He said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down

Everyone clapped and cheered; Harry didn't know whether he should laugh or be worried. To be honest, he thought that the Headmaster was only being eccentric for the students benefit. Apparently Draco thought so too and sent Harry a look that obviously said 'What a weirdo', but Harry's mind was completely taken off the odd Headmaster because the golden plates in front of him had filled up, bursting with all sorts of wonderful food Harry had never even seen, let alone eaten. At the Dursley's, he barely got enough to keep him alive, let alone enough to actually fill his stomach.

Harry just stared at all the food, having no idea where to start.

"Hey Harry, is anybody in?" Draco waved a hand in front of Harry's face, jerking the dark haired boy out of his thoughts.

"Uh yeah, I was just… just-" Harry hesitated.

"Just what?" Draco asked.

Harry took a deep calming breath, "Well it's just I've never seen so much food, I mean at the Dursley's I was never allowed to eat what I cooked for them; just some bread and stuff. I've never been too undernourished but still… I don't know where to start." Harry looked up at Draco whose face was totally stunned.

"You have never had roast beef?" Draco pointed to a plate with a huge cut of meat on it; several people had already carved off a slice and were tucking into it.

Harry shook his head.

"Well then I will choose your food for you!" Draco then proceeded to pile Harry's plate with all sorts of food from roast chicken to Yourkshire pudding.

Harry tried a bite of everything on his plate, it was all delicious, but there was no way he would be able to eat it all. Draco was giving Harry concerned looks when he thought he wasn't looking, Harry had only managed to consume about a quarter of the plate until he felt nauseous.

"_Oi green eyes anything for me?" _Cleo slithered out of Harry's sleeve onto the table. Several of the students screamed in surprise but not because Cleo was a snake; it was just because she shocked them.

"Oh no, not again. Silly snake you have a habit of surprising people don't you?" Harry said, cutting a slither of chicken and feeding it to Cleo who was basking in the glow of affection she was receiving from the other students.

"_I could get used to this, green eyes." _Cleopatra seemed to like the roast chicken and all the compliments she was getting from the Slytherin students.

"A familiar for a true Slytherin," said a mournful voice behind Harry. Harry turned around swishing his hair out the way to reveal a grim looking ghost with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face and robes stained with silver blood.

Harry remembered it was polite to actually reply when somebody was talking to you so he found his voice, "Thank you sir. Her name is Cleopatra." Cleo looked up at the mention of her name.

"Hmm…. serpent familiars are very rare, it's hard to gain a snake's trust unless you are a parselmouth." The ghost surveyed Harry a glassy eyed stare, "Well good luck Mr. Potter. I hope you help us win the house cup for the seventh time in a row." The ghost smiled grimly; there was no emotion on his face. The ghost seemed to tire of talking to students, so he floated off to the other end of the hall and started to talk to Professor Snape. An older Slytherin girl with a long reddish plat informed Harry that that ghost was the Slytherin ghost: The Bloody Baron.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later, the puddings appeared. Harry groaned; he couldn't eat one more mint humbug even if he tried.

"Éclairs Harry?" Draco offered a plate of sickly sweet chocolate covered pastries at Harry.

Harry shook his head, "No thanks. If I eat anymore I might be sick." Draco shrugged. Harry sat out the rest of the feast; he felt as if he had eaten a cannonball.

At last the puddings disappeared too and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent.

"Ahem – just a few more words now we are fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that too."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry blinked at Draco who merely shrugged and muttered, "Well let's just not go there then."

Everyone was then forced to sing the school song to their favorite tune, at last only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.

Dumbledore then dismissed all the students and they trudged off to bed. Harry and Draco following there house prefect down to the dungeons of the school. The prefect paused at a stretch of bare stone wall. She was the girl with the long auburn plat Harry had seen earlier.

"Okay Slytherins, the password for this term is 'Basilisk'." A door which blended in completely with the stone wall slid open to reveal the hidden chamber where Harry and the other Slytherins were going to live for their school terms.

They stepped inside taking in the sight of their common room; it was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls which gave the feeling of being in a cave. Harry grinned as he looked around, _this place was awesome!_

It had round lamps hanging from chains in the ceiling; they gave off a green sort of glow that bathed the room in a cool light. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several carved chairs were silhouetted round it. There was a thick green and black rug with interacted woven patterns covering most of the stone floor except the edges. And there was a large dark wood table in the center of the room framed by a couple of old-fashioned black leather sofas.

The thing that caught Harry's eye the most was a huge life size portrait with an intricate silver frame hanging on the far wall. It was of a middle-aged man who must have been devastatingly handsome in his youth because even now he was good-looking. He had long hair like Lucius Malfoy's just it was an inky black and tied back at the base of his neck with an emerald ribbon. He was reclining in a high-backed chair with a regal expression on his face; his eyes were a green similar to Harry's but a shade darker. And to Harry's utter astonishment, he smiled at the students and stood up to welcome them.

"Welcome Slytherins, it's always good to see new faces in my house." His emerald eyes lingered on Harry for a moment then sat back down in his chair.

The prefect bowed her head to the portrait, "Good to see you again Sal."

"You too Rosier, made prefect I see. Congratulations." The man Harry presumed to be Salazar Slytherin, put his feet up on a table that was out of the frame.

"Thank you," Said the prefect who then tuned to face the first years again,

"The boys' dormitories are to your left down those stairs." She gestured at a black-marble arch way with stone steps leading down in a spiral, "And the girls' dormitories to your right." She then pointed to identical stairs on the other side of the room.

"Well I'm exhausted and am going to bed. I recommend you do as well because lessons start first thing tomorrow!" The prefect then turned and disappeared down the steps, leading to the girls' dorms.

Nearly everyone turned to go to bed as well, but Harry and Draco were a few of the ones who stayed.

Harry and Draco sat down on the leather sofa closest to the fire; Harry curled up at one end like a cat while Draco lounged all over the sofa like he owned the place already. Cleopatra slithered out of Harry's sleeve and onto the armrest, which was closest to the fire. She basked in the glow of warmth from the flames, hissing happily as Harry stroked her.

Harry hissed under his breath to Cleo so the other people in the room wouldn't hear him speaking Parseltongue. Draco had fallen asleep on the sofa so he was dead to the world, but Harry forgot that the portrait behind him could hear perfectly well, _"Hey Cleo do you like it here? I don't want you to be unhappy if you don't. It's quite cold underground and you come from a warm climate, so promise to say something if you don't like it."_

A low hissing voice answered him but it wasn't Cleo, _"You speak it boy!"_

Harry jumped slightly and turned to see the portrait of Salazar Slytherin leaning forwards in his frame.

"_Yes sir… if you don't want me to I can-" _Harry was interrupted by the portrait, the founder was beaming with genuine joy at finding another one of his serpents could speak Parseltongue.

"_Why this is marvelous! I haven't had a true Slytherin in my house for over fifty years!" _Slytherin's eyes were almost glowing from finding another child he could pass the knowledge of parselmagic onto.

"_Oh… so this is good?" _Harry fidgeted in his seat. Cleo looked up from the sofa and listened into the conversation between Harry and Slytherin.

"_Why of course my boy, this means I can pass the ancient knowledge of parselmagic onto the next generation. Only speakers of the serpent's tongues can wield the mighty power of parselmagic."_ Salazar was grinning like a fool, he was glad Godric wasn't here because he would be laughing himself silly. He always said Sal got a bit **too** passionate at times.

"_Oh my…" _Harry was jumping for joy inside his head,_ "so I can use magic only a few people in history have had the fortune to use?"_

Salazar nodded, causing his ribbon to come loose and his raven locks of hair fell over his shoulders and the founder became distracted by the now loose hair which fell around his face.

"Curses! Stupid ribbon, Why couldn't have the artist painted a more sturdy thing in which to tie back one's hair."Salazar merely swept his long hair over his shoulder for the time being. He was about to continue his chat with Harry, when Draco jerked out of his dreams.

Draco rubbed his eyes childishly with his hand, "I had the strangest dream… you were having a conversation with Salazar Slytherin in parseltongue!" Draco chuckled to himself.

"Hmm I think it's time you boys went to bed?" Salazar raised an eyebrow at Harry, who flushed pink slightly.

Draco yawned, covering his mouth with his pale hand, "Yes I agree."

Harry stood and let Cleo slither up his arm to rest around his neck, "Okay then, good night sir."

As Harry was about to walk down the stairs to the dormitories with Draco, Slytherin called out, "For future reference, call me Sal!"

Harry raised a hand in parting and followed Draco down into the cool darkness of the dorms. Only when he was just falling to sleep in his elegant, velvet-green, four-poster bed did Harry remember the Sorting Hat's advice to read his books.

Harry's last thought before he drifted into dream land was, _Oh well, it can wait until morning._

…

**A/N: Soooo….. wha'cha think? I tried to make it long… it's not as long as last chapter but it's still pretty big for my standards. And for the many people who asked about the curse much will be reveled later!**

**Also once again, I must that my beta 'FallForYourType' she is amazing and without her you would be struggling through a sea of dyslexic grammar and spelling mistakes.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: The Peverell Curse**

**Author: The Oddness**

**Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone including the emerald eyed child.**

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated recently! I have been really busy with loads of stuff. But here is chapter five and I hope you enjoy it! Three cheers for my wonderful beta 'FallForYourType'. \**

**Also, if I have not written it before, then let me do this now: the characters are all either a bit ooc or are somewhat close to their original personalities. Otherwise, then what is the point of the story in there all the same as the books?**

**(**_Italics_**) mean Parseltongue.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R and not me. **

_Recap_: Harry's last thought before he drifted into dream land was, _Oh well, it can wait until morning._

When Harry woke up the next morning he was unsure as to where he was. Why was his cupboard's ceiling suddenly made of green velvet? But then yesterday's adventures came rushing back to him, and the green velvet was just the canopy of his Slytherin four-poster bed. He was at Hogwarts! Harry grinned to himself and rolled over onto his side, and came face to face with Cleo, who stared at him unblinkingly. It was hard to tell when she was awake or asleep seeing as snakes lacked any eyelids.

Harry deduced she was sleeping because when she was awake, her black forked tongue flickered out every ten seconds or so; tasting the air. Right now there was no movement from the young sea krait except the slight rise and fall of her breathing.

Harry, who had yet to draw the curtains from his four-poster bed, didn't know what time it was. Shifting on his bed as minutely as he could so to not disturb Cleo, Harry poked his head out of the hangings. It was always dark in the dungeons because of the lack of windows, but Harry could see his battered watch on his bedside table, the numbers glowing a faint florescent green.

_5:30am, _it read.

_Ah, still early then, _thought Harry. Harry's internal body clock was used to waking him at exactly five thirty every morning so he could be awake and get breakfast ready for the Dursley's even before his aunt started stirring.

Harry was rather thankful for this because now he had some time to read those books he had gotten out of his vault. Grinning to no one in particular, Harry retrieved one of his books and used the light of his watch to be able to read them.

The book Harry had picked up was called _'Tales of Beedle the Bard'._ Reading through it, Harry was disappointed to find that it was only wizarding fairy tales. Yet the story that he enjoyed the most was a tale about three brothers who supposedly fooled Death, but it turns out that Death tricked them into thinking that he was pleased with them. Yet the third brother was smart enough to ask for Death's own invisibility cloak as to avoid being followed by him and killed. Harry had made light work of the book and the watch now said 6:00am. Harry still had at least another hour before he had to get up. So he reached for one of the other books.

This one was old and battered with a peeling leather cover. Harry opened it to reveal crisp yellowing pages. It seemed it was a journal of some kind. It was written in faded purple ink that Harry could barely make sense of.

_23/12/1264_

_I, Ignotus Peverell, have made a grave mistake; and I wish to warn my descendants of my curse so they may be prepared for what will befall on them because of me._

_A long time ago when I was still young, I came across a river with my two brothers. They are both deceased now but I think of them lucky. We needed to cross over so we conjured a bridge with our magic, but to our utter fear and surprise Death himself showed up. He felt cheated that we hadn't drowned. I can't tell you what he looked like for I cannot remember, it all passed in a haze of ancient black magic no other than Death himself could possess. _

_He tricked us into thinking he was pleased with our magical prowess and congratulated us. Man's pride and egocentric ways blinded our path and we fell for his lies. My brothers asked for nonsensical gifts that I knew would get them killed, yet I asked for something as to not be slain so soon as them. I asked for Death's own invisibility cloak. Oh how foolish I was!_

_I thought I had outsmarted death. But nobody can outwit the master himself. He'll always get you at the very end. I lived for many years using the cloak for many purposes. But I did not know this would have an effect on me._

_Or my heirs._

_The cloak I later discovered was fashioned out of the hide of an ancient sea creature which had the power of near invisibility. The creature was one of a kind. She was the queen of all things aquatic, and was closely related to merfolk. Yet rather than half fish, she was half sea dragon. With reflective scales coving her body, she was merely a flash of swirling water to the naked eye. Her powers were so vast that even now some of her magic lingers in the cloak._

_After using the cloak so readily and so often, this magic latched onto me. It raised my magic to colossal levels and I was thrilled. It was amazing not even having to use a wand or lift a finger to use my magic. I kept using the cloak in hopes of raising it more; my sinful human greed got the better of me. Her magic was so great, my mere human body could not contain it, and so my once weak human body morphed and changed so it could contain the greatness of the powers. It morphed to resemble her._

_I am now a monster. _

_I am working on a way to capture the magic, to return to my natural form. Yet I have noticed the same great magic in my own son. It has been passed on through inheritance if what I have seen of my heir is true. I know when I finally give into Death, he will laugh in my face and this horrible curse will pass on to my beloved children._

Harry paused for a moment staring at the page. There were marks of where teardrops had rained down upon the parchment. The passage ended there but the journal still had many more entries, filling the entire book. Harry was about to read on when he heard the rustling of one his house mates shifting about in their bed. Quickly shutting the book, Harry put the journal back in his trunk with the others and feigned sleep as the rest of the dorm slowly awoke.

After about ten minutes, Harry deemed it safe to 'wakeup' and he withdrew the curtains and slipped out of his bed to see that Blaise was awake and was getting dressed next to his bed. He gave Harry a small smile but then focused back on buttoning up his school shirt. Harry followed Blaise's example and dressed in his own uniform.

"Sleep alright Harry?" Asked Blaise once he had finished dressing and Harry was fastening his tie.

Harry looked up once his green and silver tie was in place and answered his house mate, "Yeah…. better than ever . My mattress at home can't compare to this," Harry gestured to the green and silver four-poster bed, " it might as well be made of wood."

Blaise laughed thinking that Harry was joking. Harry let him be, not wanting to explain about his poor home life.

Soon the rest of the dorm was awake and they trudged off to the Great Hall for breakfast, still rubbing sleep from their eyes except for Harry, who had been awake for at least an hour and a half before everyone else. Sitting down, Harry once again was stunned at the amount of food; he opted for some plain toast while Cleo was enjoying a kipper.

Harry heard Daphne ask Draco what lesson they had first, the blond pulled out his timetable and told her that they had double potions with the Gryffindors. The Slytherin prefect had handed the first years their timetables as they left the common room earlier.

Harry grinned to himself; he was glad that his first lesson was with Professor Snape. In such an unfamiliar place, an acquainted face was welcome. Finishing his breakfast, Harry let Cleo settle around his neck as he made his way to the dungeons to find the potions lab; Draco absentmindedly trailing behind him.

They made it to the potions lab a little before everyone else, seeing as Draco already knew where it was, thanks to his father's visits to see his best friend and Draco's godfather. Harry and Draco stood outside the door waiting for the rest of the class and their professor to arrive. Once everybody was there, except the Weasley boy and his Gryffindor groupies, a deep velvet voice called from within and the class filed through dungeon doors. Some Gryffindors stumbled in late, but Weasley was nowhere to be seen.

Once seated, Snape took the register, and he didn't stop until he reached Weasley's name. The red headed boy didn't answer.

"Weasley?" Snape demanded.

No reply.

Snape let out an exasperated sigh, "Where is Weasley?"

A short Gryffindor boy with scruffy brown hair answered, "I don't know sir, he left the common room and had breakfast with us but now he's gone."

Snape scowled at the poor boy but could find no plausible fault to punish him for, so the professor continued speaking. "We shall wait to see if he turns up, if not I will send somebody to go and find the ingrate."

Draco sniggered but soon shut up when he received a sharp look from Harry for disrupting their first ever lesson.

Snape then called out the last name on the list and Blaise Zabini called out a "Yes Sir!", he then continued on with the lesson.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," began Snape.  
>He spoke barely more than a whisper, but the class caught every word. Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you to will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its strong fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."<p>

Harry gave a small smile at the thought of potions; _it should be just like cooking, _thought Harry. Because he had been cooking since he was five years old, Harry hoped he would be a natural at Snape's subject. Harry was snapped out of his day dream by Snape suddenly calling his name.

"Potter!" he called.

"Yes sir?" Harry answered wondering what he had done wrong.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Questioned the potions professor.

Harry thought for a second. There was nothing about adding them together in his potions book, but there was information on the separate plants. Both were powerful ingredients that could send even the largest man sound asleep. So if they were added together, it would make such a powerful sleeping draught that one might not wake up.

Harry answered, "I don't know exactly because it's not in our potions book, but I would guess at it being some kind of extremely powerful sleeping draught?" Harry tilted his head to the side and looked Snape right in his coal black eyes. The professor didn't smile outwardly, but his eyes looked faintly amused.

"Well done Potter, five points to Slytherin." Snape then turned to address the rest of the class as well as Harry, "Potter was correct. There is nothing about mixing asphodel and wormwood together in your potion books, but there is information on the separate ingredients. Potter used his head and put two and two together. That is the kind of attitude I want in this class. They are both powerful components that cause sleep, so when put together makes an even more powerful sleeping draught. When combined, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful known as the Draught of the Living Death."

Snape then fired some questions at other students in the class, Draco managed to answer his correctly and so did the scruffy haired Gryffindor boy from earlier. But all the other students failed to answer. Harry couldn't help but notice that he got the hardest question.

As Snape was explaining the instructions that he had put up on the chalkboard, Weasley burst into the room panting with a flushed face.

Snape turned on the spot like he was on a pivot and glared at the redhead. "Where have you been Mr. Weasley?" He didn't shout but Snape's tone of voice inspired much more than fear, Weasly looked ready to wet himself.

"S-sorry… Sir I got… got lost," panted the boy.

"That is not acceptable; ten points from Gryffindor and a detention at eight! Now sit down." Snape pointed the empty chair next to Harry.

Weasly grumbled under his breath and roughly jostled Harry as he got seated. Harry sent him a scowl and Cleo hissed menacingly from under Harry's shirt.

Harry was trying to concentrate on the work but Weasley was making it very difficult seeing as Snape had paired the Gryffindor with him.

"You're nothing but a slimy snake Potter. I bet you'd let the entire Gryffindor house die if it was up to you, traitor!" Spat Weasley.

Harry sneered and didn't bother to answer as he continued to weigh the dried nettles. Weasley sent a few more insults Harry's way, but the raven haired boy chose to ignore him. The freckled boy soon gave up and resigned to moodily crushing his snake fangs a bit too viciously.

"Don't do that! You'll make them too rough; you want the powder as smooth as possible!" Harry hissed at Ron who scowled and just proceeded to crush the fangs even more savagely.

"You'll ruin the whole potion!" Harry scathed.

"Don't tell me what to do!" The red headed boy then tipped the roughly cut fangs into the potion.

Harry gasped, "Now look at what you've done! It's totally ruined!" Harry gestured to the potion which had now gone a violent shade of green when it was meant to be an icy cool blue colour.

Harry frowned as he increased the heat under the cauldron, for the added heat should dissolve the fangs and sure enough the potion started to change from green to blue. _It's just the same as when sugar dissolves in hot water when you make tea_, thought Harry. The raven haired boy was still slightly upset though the potion wasn't as perfect as it could have been, but it was acceptable.

"Good save Potter," drawled Snape from behind them making Weasley jump and nearly knock over the dried nettles, "As for you Weasley that was very foolish. If this was a more complicated potion you could have killed us all. Fifteen points from Gryffindor."

Once Snape was out of ear shot, Weasley pushed Harry so hard, he banged his hip against the desk and said, "That was your fault!"

Harry just raised one delicate eyebrow at the hotheaded boy and returned to the potion rubbing his bruised hip. If this Weasley didn't stop being so obtuse soon Harry was going to have to do something. Maybe he could learn a curse that repelled people with an IQ's less than a slug. That would keep the nuisance away. Throughout the rest of the lesson, Harry stopped Ron from making some other stupid mistakes and they managed to turn in an acceptable potion at the end of the lesson.

But as they were clearing up, something went horribly wrong.

Cleo slithered out of Harry's sleeve and settled on the edge of the desk doing no harm. Snape eyed Harry and the snake but didn't say anything. A few of the students had pets on them as well; he knew for fact that the Weasley boy had a rat on his person somewhere.

As Harry was clearing up the table, Ron just lounged about on his stool and spotted Cleo.

"Urggg Potter your snake is horrible!" Weasley turned his nose up at the banded sea krait.

Harry scowled at the redhead, "Well I think your rat is disgusting, they carry disease. I would take a clean animal for a familiar over a horrible dirty one any day. Mind you it doesn't show much for your personality having a rat as your familiar now does it?"

"How dare you insult Scabbers!" Yelled Weasley.

The Gryffindor boy then pointed at Harry's snake, "I bet it would devour Scabbers on sight if they ever came into contact!"

Harry sneered, "As if she would eat something as disease ridden as your fleabag rat!"

Then Ron went too far and reached out to grab Cleo off the table.

Harry and Snape both shouted out warnings at the same time,

"Weasley do not touch that snake!" Called Snape while Harry yelled, "Don't touch her! She'll bite you!"

Too late.

Weasley grasped onto the writhing serpent with grubby hands. Cleo let out angry hisses as she was squeezed too hard and she sunk her fangs into Weasley's hand.

The redhead cried out and promptly dropped the snake that fell onto the cold stone floor of the dungeons with a sickening thud. Harry dropped to his knees and hissed in Parseltongue at Cleo, completely forgetting Weasley was in the room with him and Professor Snape, everyone else had left.

"_Cleo oh Merlin…. are you alright!"_ Harry picked up the snake and held her to his chest.

"_I'm fine just stunned," _hissed Cleo from the cradle of Harry's arms.

Harry smiled but then remembered that Cleo was an extremely venomous sea snake and she had just bitted the Weasley boy, _"Cleo did you inject any venom into that boy?"_

"_Of course I did, what would be the point of biting him if I didn't?" _

Harry stood and turned to look at Professor Snape, "Sir Cleo is very venomous and if Weasley doesn't get to the hospital wing, he could die."

Weasley whimpered and Snape sighed, "Weasley you stay here, and keep a tight grip around your wrist to stop the venom from spreading and whatever you do, don't move. That will only cause the venom to spread quicker." Snape said as if he got this kind of mayhem every day.

"Potter go to the cupboard to your right and retrieve the box marked bezoars," called Snape.

Harry did just that and retrieved the box; he knew what Snape was going to do, so he withdrew one of the wrinkled brown stones and handed it directly to his potions professor.

"Eat this Weasley." Snape shoved the bezoar at Weasley who took it and with one skeptical look at the stone, he swallowed it whole.

While Weasley was sitting on a stool wondering what the hell had just happened, Snape turned to Harry.

"You need to be more careful revealing that talent of yours Mr. Potter." Snape said this so Weasley couldn't hear; the boy was too preoccupied with his hand to have noticed Harry hissing to his familiar.

Harry looked at his shoes, "Uh yes sir."

Snape rolled his eyes, "Nothing is straightforward with you is it." The professor then turned back to Weasley, "You may go now."

Ron didn't hesitate and he practically ran from the room, leaving Harry and Snape alone.

Snape turned to Harry and the boy could feel a lecture coming on so he stood still and prepared for the angry shouts, but they never came. Instead, Snape spoke with a soft voice which Harry found comforting, "Potter, I suggest you keep your language abilities a secret from the other students. You would get much ridicule from the other houses for being a Parselmouth. They don't understand its uses and think it's an evil ability just because the Dark Lord has the power of the serpents tongue. The Slytherins would be thrilled and I'm sure some Ravenclaws would understand, but I wouldn't recommend telling anyone… not just yet anyway. Now run along Potter, you're missing your morning break and wasting my time."

"Yes sir," answered Harry but he couldn't help but worry what would happen to Cleo. Surely she would be banned from the school seeing as she poisoned a student, "Just… just before I go, I was wondering what's going to happen to Cleo?" Harry looked up at Severus with big green eyes that practically screamed innocence.

Severus's brow wrinkled into a slight frown, "I'm sure I can convince Dumbledore into letting you keep her, as it was obviously the Weasley's idiocy that caused her to bite him. You may have to go through some precautions like leaving her in the dorms during the day though."

Harry was a bit disheartened; he liked having a friend wherever he went, but if it meant still being able to keep his familiar, it was a small price to pay.

"Okay, thank you sir."

Harry smiled at Snape and got a faint twitch of the lips in return. Harry gathered up his things and ran out of the room in search of Draco, Cleo swinging happily around his neck.

…

Harry spent the rest of the day enjoying his lessons. Weasley was keeping a distance from him which was a bonus, but it seemed the redhead was spiraling the real story out of proportion, telling people that Cleo struck out at him for no reason and that she was a dangerous monster. Harry tried not to let this get to him, but it was rather depressing having people shoot you nasty looks all the time.

Harry had explained what happened to Draco and Hermione in Herbology and it seemed that the whole class had been listening in, so most of the Ravenclaws and all of the Slytherins weren't bothered by Cleo's presence anymore. In fact, most of them took his side completely and were all appalled at Weasley's behavior. Even Professor Sprout had seemed reassuring.

During the History of Magic lesson with the Hufflepuffs, Harry couldn't help but get bored. It looked like Crabbe had fallen asleep right on his desk. Mind you Binns didn't notice anything. He just floated along and droned on about various wars between goblins and other magical creatures.

By the time the school day was over, Harry was ready to pass out from exhaustion. But there was something niggling at the back of his mind. It was then Harry remembered the journal of Ignotus Peverell. He was bursting with curiosity about what happened to the third brother.

Settling on his bed while the other Slytherins were playing exploding snaps down in the common room, Harry rested the journal on his lap. Cleo was looking over his shoulder even though she couldn't read. Harry should probably teach her some time, but right now he was too curious about the journal.

Harry opened the book on the next entry.

_30/12/1264_

_I have been working day in and day out trying to find a way to revert to my natural form. I am getting closer… I can feel it in my bones. Every now and then I get epiphanies and I sneak a little bit closer to my goal. I have realized that this curse cannot be vanquished completely. _

_But it can be captured. _

_All I need is a vessel to contain it. Now I must return to my studies to find such a vessel. _

The rest of the entries were all about the same length as that one, they detailed the progress of Ignotus Peverell and how he was creeping closer to finding a way to stop his curse. Harry skimmed through them; there was nothing of particular interest until he came to the very last page.

_7/7/1267_

_I have finally succeeded…. the cure has been found! _

_I have gained a scale from the Sea Queen. At first I thought they had all gone into making Death's invisibility cloak. I was misinformed. It turns out her carcass is vastly greater than the largest dragon and it is still at the bottom of the ocean right where Death had slain her for her hide._

_I never knew magic could be so great. Even though she was deceased, her magic was cosmic._

_She hadn't rotted or decomposed at all, she was still in near perfect condition despite not actually being alive. Her scales have lost their reflective quality now though. But they now shine a silver so bright I fear without my extra eye lids I would have been blinded. Once I had left the water with the scale, it lost some of its glow. But when near any water even when it's just raining, it glows brighter._

_One of her singular scales can contain all the magic that has been channeled into me. I now only have to cast some spells and charms on the scale so it will draw upon my magic's energy when I am in physical contact with it. I believe this to be the most suitable solution to my problem because when I am not in contact with the scale, the magic will return to me and I can revert to my Sea Queen-like appearance. Strangely enough I have come to rather like it._

_I managed to reach her corpse because of my new appearance; it's manifested so much I have developed gills, quite extraordinary. I am rather suited to aquatic life now and have come to enjoy it. I can manage great depths and pressure, the cold of the ocean does not bother me and I seem to have developed as taste for raw fish. (I find the Japanese delicacy known as sushi to be very flavorsome.)_

_I have come to see the curse in a new light now that it is not permanent and I have the choice of being human or hybrid. Hmm… I must think up a name for myself. How about the Sea King? She was the Sea Queen. Actually I think Sea Prince is more fitting because I will never be able to reach her greatness of power. Being a Sea King would imply that… so Sea Prince it is._

_So continuing onwards I now think this curse as more of as a blessing now that I am able to change freely from one body to the next, in fact I am so used to my new body I'm not sure what it's going to be like being human again. I must get to work on the spells I need to cast otherwise I fear I'll change so much I won't have the ability to breath air anymore. It's already becoming difficult._

_Farewell reader. I must go, but before I do I shall tell you something._

_This book has been charmed so only my descendants may read it. To anybody else it would have appeared blank. You most probably have the curse/blessing but there is a chance that you have older siblings or cousins, maybe your parents still harbor it. But if you do have the curse, unless you want to change into the sea creature you must never-_

Harry gripped the book in fury; somebody had ripped the last of the page out. How could they do that! They had taken the last of the books information. The most important part, now he will never know if he has the curse or not, and if so how to activate it! Harry practically growled in fury and slammed the book shut, tucking it back into his trunk a bit more forcefully than he would have done normally.

Cleo looked at him expectantly waiting for an explanation of his anger; she could feel it through their familiar bond. Harry took a deep breath and explained everything to the sea krait who sat curled up in silence.

"_Ahh I see why you are angry green eyes. If I were you I would also be furious. Now if I were you I would sleep," _hissed Cleo trying to console and calm her master.

"_Yes, yes your right. But I think I will go for a walk rather than sleep. Do you wish to accompany me?" _Harry hissed apologetically and ran a finger down Cleo's head and neck.

"_I think I will stay and sleep green eyes, todays… activities have tired me out. Place me on your pillow if you will." _Cleo gave a snakey yawn displaying her deadly fangs and hissed out a sigh of contentment when she was placed on Harry's pillow.

"_Okay, see you later." _Harry smiled and left the dorm, entering the common room he waved to Draco and Zabini who were over by the fire with some other Slytherins.

"I'll see you guys later, I'm off for a walk!" Harry exclaimed out as he stepped out of the common room, Draco and Blaise waved back and returned to their exploding snap game.

Harry walked down the dungeon corridors and went up to the ground floor and out of the great front doors. He had yet to explore the grounds of the school.

They were breathtaking with the great lake that shone in the sun like a vast twinkling mirror and the snow-sprinkled mountainous backdrop. Harry walked along the edge of the lake wondering what lived in there when a huge tentacle rose up out of the water and splashed back down again, showering Harry in diamond droplets. He had a sneaking suspicion that whatever that tentacle belonged to just waved at him. Preoccupied with his thoughts on the great tentacle beast, Harry didn't notice how brightly his pendant was glowing as he walked around the lake edge. As the sun began to drop behind the Scottish mountainside, Harry hurried back to the castle getting in just before Filch locked the doors.

Settling into bed that night was not hard and neither was getting to sleep; the walk had tired Harry out. But it didn't stop him from having bizarre dreams about dragon human hybrids with voices like the wind and eyes as bright as stars. But the next morning Harry had forgotten all about it and he carried on his normal Hogwarts life and the first school week lazily slipped by without commotion. Until first-year flying lessons were added to the school curriculum.

…

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley; but that was before Ron Weasley. Still, first-year Slytherins only had Potions with the Gryffindors, so they didn't have to put up with Weasley much. Or at least they didn't, until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Slytherin common room which made them all groan in displeasure. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday – and Slytherin and Gryffindor would be learning together.

"Typical." Said Harry darkly, "Just what I always wanted; to make a fool of myself on a broom stick in front of Weasley."

Harry had been looking forward to learning to fly but not as much as Draco, who was positively ecstatic at the thought of showing off his flying skills. He had already told Harry about one time where he had nearly flown into a muggle helicopter which had the raven haired youth laughing so hard he thought he'd ruptured something.

"You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself." Said Draco reasonably, "Anyway, I know Weasley's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk. They don't have two knuts to rub together let alone enough galleons to buy a broom."

Weasley did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first-years not getting in their house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories which always seemed to end up with him narrowly escaping some dreadful injury. Mind you he wasn't the only one: the way Blaise Zabini told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the country side on his broomstick. Even Daphne would tell anyone who'd listen about the time she'd almost hit a hang-glider.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Draco had already had a big argument with Blaise about their favorite Quidditch teams and whose was better.

At breakfast, Harry could hear Hermione on the Ravenclaw table giving her house flying tips for when they had their flying lesson after lunch with the Hufflepuffs. She was obviously nervous about flying. You can't just learn it out of a book but it but that didn't stop her from trying. Harry's thought were interrupted by the arrival of the post. Owls every different shape and size came soaring into the great hall. The first time this happened, it gave Harry a bit of a fright and he'd nearly fallen off the bench, much to the great amusement of Draco.

A northern pigmy owl arrived with a small package for Daphne. She opened it excitedly and showed them a necklace with a tiny clock about the size of a marble hanging from a sparkly gold chain. It had twelve hands and twinkly stars and planets moving around the edge of its midnight blue clock face. Harry could make no sense of it but the rest of his house seemed to be able to. He'd have to ask Draco about it some time. Anyway even if he couldn't tell the time from it, it was very pretty.

While Daphne was admiring the clock-necklace, Weasley who was passing the Slytherin table, snatched it out of her hands. Harry and Draco stood; Harry had wanted a reason to fight Weasley ever since the incident with Cleo. Luckily Dumbledore hadn't pressed any restrictions on Harry but did say that if Cleo bit anyone again she would have to stay in the dorms during the day. Anyway Harry was still mad at Weasley for harming his familiar.

But before anything could happen, Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?" She demanded sternly.

Daphne looked up at the Gryffindor professor with her azure eyes, "Weasly's got my necklace professor."

Scowling Weasly quickly dropped the clock-necklace back on the table. "Just looking," He said, and skulked away with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan following behind him.

…

Later that morning, Harry, Draco and the other Slytherins hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards smooth turf on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Gryffindors were already there, and so were the broomsticks lying in neat lines. Harry had heard the Weasley twins complain about how rubbish the school brooms were and he wondered how bad they actually were.

Their teacher Madam Hooch arrived; she had short grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk, Cleo confirmed that she smelt faintly like a bird. Harry pondered on this; according to Cleo it was the same sort of animal-smell that hung around McGonagall, just she smelt like a cat.

Harry's attentions were taken away from smells and back to Madam Hooch who was speaking, "Stick your wand hand out over your broom and say up!" called Madam Hooch from the front. Her eyes glinted golden in the sun.

Harry's broom shot into his hand with a whoosh but it was one of the few that did. Draco had managed to get it to rise but not as fast as Harry had. To Harry's amusement, the broom Weasley was trying to make rise, popped up and smacked him in the face.

Harry could almost taste disaster when Madam Hooch asked them to fly up and then come straight back down again. In fact, Daphne couldn't control her broom and there was obviously something wrong with it. The broom was vibrating violently and then shot off in the direction of the castle, Daphne screaming and clutching on for dear life. But when she was about twenty feet up, the broom gave a horrible lurch and shot poor Daphne off.

With a loud scream and a thud, Daphne lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. Daphne's broomstick was still rising higher and higher, shaking and bucking like a spooked horse. It shot off at speed over the Forbidden forest.

Madam Hooch was bending over Daphne, her face as white as a sheet.

"Broken ankle," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, it's alright. Up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you move while I take this girl to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch!" Called Madam Hooch, her face set in stone at the seriousness of her words, yellow eyes narrowed making Harry feel like a preyed upon rabbit.

**A/N: PHEW! Longest chapter yet I believe. **

**I must thank all my reviewers but because I am getting so many reviews it's really hard to reply to them all. So if you're not asking a question or making a point I probably won't answer. Also I now will not reply to people leaving either one word reviews or just asking me to update, I will read them and I do appreciate them just its not worth sending the same answer again and again. **

**Have some more of my inane waffling; if you don't understand the journal entries or any other part of my fanfiction do not hesitate to PM me.**

**Ahem…. once again I must bring your attention to my magnificent beta 'FallForYourType' whom without her, my story would be illegible.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: The Peverell Curse**

**Author: The Oddness**

**Summary: A strange curse or some say a blessing has been passed down the Peverell line since its name began. The young boy Harry Potter has carried this curse since the day he was born. Unknown to almost everyone including the emerald eyed child.**

**A/N: Hello readers! Why don't you accept my gift of chapter six? I'm sure you'll like it.**

**I must give credit where credit is due, my wonderful beta 'FallForYourType' is doing an amazing job saving you all from the anger caused by my many typos and grammatical errors.**

**(**_Italics_**) mean Parseltongue. And in other cases, spells casted.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R and not me. **

_Recap_: _"None of you move while I take this girl to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch!" Called Madam Hooch, her face set in stone at the seriousness of her words, yellow eyes narrowed making Harry feel like a preyed upon rabbit._

Madam Hooch then proceeded to conjure a stretcher which she laid Daphne on. Levitating the stretcher with Daphne on it back up to the school, Madam Hooch and the injured girl soon became no more than two faceless specks in the distance.

Once he was sure that Hooch and Daphne were out of ear shot, Weasley burst into laughter.

"Did you see her face, the crybaby?" Some of the other Gryffindors joined in with the jesting.

"Why don't you shut up Weasley," Snapped Blaise.

"Oooh, sticking up for Greengrass?" Called Lavender Brown, a hard-faced Gryffindor girl, "Never thought you'd like whiney little crybabies, Blaise."

"Look!" Exclaimed Weasley, darting forwards and snatching something out the grass, "It's that stupid thing Greengrass' family sent her!"

Harry decided that this was getting out of hand, and he was sure that Weasley would probably break the clock-necklace purely out of spite.

"Hand it over Weasley." Said Harry in a calm, quite voice, his pale hand outstretched.

Weasley smiled maliciously.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Greengrass to collect – how about – up a tree?"

Harry let out a sigh, "Don't be a fool Weasley; come on and give it here. Stop being a prat."

Too late for Weasley had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. The boy hadn't been lying when he said he could fly well. Currently he was hovering at the level of the large oak trees' top most branches. "Come and get it Potter!" yelled Weasley.

Harry scowled; he'd never been on a broom before so there was no way he was getting on one. He'd probably break his neck, anyway being a Slytherin mean self-preservation was rather high up on his list of priorities. So Harry drew out his wand instead.

Harry sifted through his knowledge on various spells and charms that might allow him to retrieve the clock-necklace. Harry thought of two, the _Accio_ summoning spell he had read upon and the _Wingardium Leviosa_ levitation charm. Harry had figured that he might have an eidetic memory for he had no problems with recalling information; he could practically see the page of the charms text book floating in his mind. Harry thought for a moment…. he had cast the hover charm before but the summoning charm would be a lot quicker and more efficient. Plus Weasley probably could yank the necklace back out in the air if he used the levitation charm.

Harry moved his wand in sharp crisscross movement and muttered the incantation under his breath. The twinkling, gold necklace shot out of Weasley's hand and darted towards Harry. The ginger haired youth tried vainly to grab hold of it again while in the air.

Harry caught the jewelry in one hand while Draco gave him a pat on the back while most of the other Slytherins just smiled. As Harry was tucking the necklace into his pocket to give to Daphne later, a piercing shout caught everyone's attention; even Weasley who was still in the air.

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

Weasley's face went form a flushed red to the grayish colour of wallpaper paste in a matter of seconds.

"Never – in all my time at Hogwarts - " Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her eyes flashed furiously,

"How _dare _you fly without a teacher present and yes, I saw everything from my window… even the necklace incident!"

Harry's face also paled slightly at that; just his face went china white instead of an ugly grey. They weren't supposed to do magic without a teacher present, it was a minor rule which you didn't really get punished for but McGonagall looked furious. Harry's elation at the fact he mastered a fifth year charm evaporated as quickly as it came.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, could you please follow me?" Bit out the Transfiguration Professor.

McGonagall led the two first year boys up to her office and closed the door behind them. She turned to face Weasley; an outraged expression had made itself at home on her face.

"Mr Weasley I am _very _disappointed in you! You flew without a teacher, and then threatened to hide another students belonging up a tree! You're in my house so I shall choose your punishment; a weeks' worth of detentions with Mr. Filch and thirty points from Gryffindor and I will owl your parents! Now leave and return to your lesson. Chop chop!" Once the first year Gryffindor had left the room McGonagall turned to Harry.

Harry was surprised when her face softened and McGonagall didn't look angry anymore, "Potter, what spell did you make use of to retrieve your house-mate's necklace?"

"Accio, Professor." Harry muttered trying to look anywhere except at McGonagall.

"Potter, you do know that's a fifth year charm? Some adult wizards can't even accomplish it." Harry heard some rustling as McGonagall sat down at her desk.

"I do know it's a fifth year charm but I didn't know it was that hard to learn." Harry shuffled where he stood; he wanted to leave. Harry felt a bit claustrophobic being shut up in the transfiguration professor's office.

"Potter do sit down, I'm not going to punish you. I was merely wondering how a first year student could accomplish such a difficult piece of magic." McGonagall's lips twitched into a faint smile.

Harry quickly sat down in the chair facing McGonagall's desk with a whoosh of his school cloak.

"Oh." Was all Harry said in reply, his face blank of any emotions.

"I have been thinking Mister Potter that you and Miss Granger could do with a bit of extra tuition. Your both very intelligent and are excelling with all your school work. You being a Slytherin and not in my house, I cannot choose this for you but I implore you to raise this issue to Severus. I will also speak with Miss Granger." McGonagall said this was enthusiasm which Harry rarely got to see in lessons.

Being a Slytherin, a challenge was his forte, "Yes Professor, I would like that." Harry gave his professor a small, shy smile.

"Good Mister Potter, now run along. I think that your flying lesson is probably over and I do believe you have my class next."

Harry nodded and left the room in a hurry.

…

"You're _joking!" _

It was dinner time and Harry had just finished telling Draco what happened when he had left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Draco had a forkful of pasta halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Extra tuition?" he said, "Wow you must be _really _smart. I mean I knew you got good grades and stuff but still!"

Harry allowed himself a proud smile, "Yeah, Hermione and I are going to have after school lessons so we can work to our full potential."

Draco's face previously stunned expression morphed into a scowl at the mention of the Hermione's name. Ever since he had found out that the Ravenclaw's parents were both muggles he had given her the cold shoulder.

"You're having lessons with that... that muggleborn!" Draco, despite Hermione being a muggleborn, couldn't bring himself to call her a mudblood. Before he found out about her parentage, he had gotten on quite well with the Ravenclaw. To say that Draco didn't care about losing her friendship would have been a lie.

Harry's brow wrinkled into a frown, "I don't understand why you don't like her. Just because she was brought up in the muggle world doesn't mean she's any less of a witch. I was brought up in the muggle world; does that make me less of a wizard?"

Draco didn't answer.

Harry's frown deepened, "Does it Draco? Am I too little of a wizard for you to answer me now?"

There was still no answer from the starlight blonde.

Harry slammed his fork down on the table, a torrent of emotions erupting inside him, disappointment the most prominent "Fine if I don't reach up to your standards, I'll leave!" True to his word Harry left his half eaten dinner and the stunned Slytherin prince behind as he retreated to the common room.

As Harry was leaving the Great Hall he heard the quick patter of running footsteps. Turning Harry was tackled with a face full of bouncy honey-brown curls as Hermione hugged him. Harry stood still, awkwardly stiff as a statue as Hermione embraced him. He'd never been hugged before.

"Oh Harry, I heard what you said at dinner, that was so brave of you standing up for me like that!" The Ravenclaw girl gave Harry one last squeeze and drew back from the embrace.

Harry smiled slightly, "It was worth it Hermione, to keep your friendship and hopefully make Draco see sense."

Hermione nodded vigorously making her hair fly all over the place, "Its great though isn't it, extra lessons!" Hermione nearly squealed in delight.

Harry nodded, "Yeah it's great, this means we'll be able to learn all sorts of stuff we would be able to learn about for years!"

Hermione agreed and Harry walked her back to the Ravenclaw common room and said good bye.

As Harry was making his way back to his own common room he was intercepted by Weasley and his usual gang of Gryffindorks.

"Having a secret meet up with your girlfriend Potter? I bet your Blonde Slytherin isn't too happy about you making friends with a muggleborn."

Harry sighed, he thought that Weasley had learnt his lesson when Cleo had bitten his hand, "You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you have your little friends with you." Harry said coolly; sweeping his inky-black hair over one shoulder.

"I'd take you on any time on my own." Said Weasley. "Tonight if you want, we could have a wizard's duel? We'll use wands only and no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel, I suppose?"

Harry had obviously heard of a wizard's duel it was talked about on page two hundred and thirty three, fourth paragraph down, line seven of their charms text book. Harry blinked for a moment, stunned at his memory once again.

"Of course I've heard of a wizards duel. Hermione will be my second, who's yours?"

Weasley turned to look at Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom, sizing them up.

"Seamus," he said, "Midnight alright? We'll meet in the trophy room, that's always unlocked." Weasley gave Harry one last sneer and pushed past him, Finnigan and Longbottom following in his wake like two lapdogs.

Harry sighed and turned back around again, heading for the Ravenclaw common room to find Hermione and tell her about the duel. Harry asked a second year Ravenclaw boy with ginger hair to get Hermione for him, the boy agreed and a few minutes later Hermione appeared.

"Harry, missed me already?" Joked the bushy haired Ravenclaw.

Harry smiled, "Yes yes I always miss you, but that's not why I'm here."

Hermione nodded for Harry to continue. Harry explained about Weasley and the duel, Hermione just sighed and muttered something that sounded like, "Boys, honestly how thick do they get?"

"Well then Miony will you be my second?" Harry questioned.

"Of course I will, we need to make sure we don't get caught though. I'll meet you here at quarter to twelve then?"

Harry nodded, "Well, see you then."

The dark-haired Slytherin departed with a wave and disappeared around the corner.

…

Harry mooched about the common room waiting for midnight to finally creep up on him. It was half nine when Sal sidled back into his portrait, he looked oddly disheveled. The man's usual sleek ponytail was untied and his hair hung around his face and shoulders, Slytherins clothes looked rumpled– like they had been put on very quickly. Despite his tousled appearance he looked happy; Salazar's dark green eyes gleamed like polished emeralds.

"Hey Sal," Said Harry.

Salazar sat down in his arm chair and pulled back his hair, "Good evening Harry."

"So where have you been? You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards." Harry slumped onto the sofa facing Sal's portrait.

Harry was surprised when a faint tinge of pink coloured Salazar's high cheekbones, "I went to visit Godric."

Harry just nodded, being only eleven and his mind totally innocent; he thought they must have been dueling.

"Harry I've been thinking…. how about I start giving you lessons on Parselmagic every weekend?" Salazar had righted his hair, smoothed his clothes and was looking like his impeccable self again.

"Sure!" Harry grinned like a mad man.

"I've also been suggested to take extra lessons after school by the other professors as well. They say me and my friend Hermione are exceeding everyone in our year." Harry told the portrait.

"Congratulations, you really are turning out to be quite the child prodigy." Sal had put his feet up on the table just out of his portrait again, musing over the fact that this little Slytherin reminded him rather strongly of a previous student who could also speak with snakes.

Harry talked with Salazar until Cleo reminded him about the duel.

"_A midnight duel you say hatchling_?" Questioned the house founder.

Cleo nodded.

"Pray tell why you are having a midnight duel Harry?" Slytherin leaned forward and glared sharply at the first year.

Harry shifted on the spot restlessly, "Well you see, there's this boy who hates me just because we're in different houses, and he challenged me to a duel at midnight - one on one. Basically I think I can beat him and want to make him understand I don't want him bothering me anymore." Harry waved his arms about enforcing his point as his said this.

"Is this boy a Gryffindor?"

Harry nodded.

"Well then, make sure you win! Otherwise I might consider disowning you as a Slytherin." Sal was grinning mischievously.

Harry laughed and waved at the portrait as he hurried off to the Ravenclaw dorm to meet his second. Hermione was waiting just outside the common room entrance with a little jam jar of bluebell flames lighting her way.

Harry who had a knack of practically melting into the shadows made a pssst sound to get the curly haired Ravenclaw's attention. Hermione jumped in surprise but soon caught sight of Harry who had stepped out of the shadows.

"Merlin's beard, Harry you almost gave me heart failure!" Hermione whispered sharply through the darkness.

Harry just smiled, his white teeth standing out in the gloom. Harry grabbed his friend's hand and led her down the hallways in the direction of the trophy room.

The pair flitted along the corridors striped with bars of silver moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped down a staircase to the third floor and crept towards the trophy room. Harry could hear faint chatter as they got closer; Weasley and Finnigan were obviously already there.

Harry slunk through the door first, concealed in the shadows with Hermione following closely behind him. She had extinguished the portable flames and was also totally concealed in the inky blackness.

The trophy room winked silver and gold in the darkness, the crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Harry and Hermione edged along the wall towards Weasley and Finnigan.

"Pssst Weasley!" Hissed Harry from the shadows.

The redhead jumped about a foot in the air from surprise, it was a miracle he didn't send all the trophies tumbling like dominoes.

"Potter!" The Gryffindor glared at him which wasn't very effective seeing as the boy was wearing tatty, maroon pajamas, which were far too short for him.

Finnigan had joined them by now and was also glaring at the Slytherin.

"So," Said Weasly, "You ready Potter?" Ron pulled his wand out of his trouser pocket.

Harry nodded, his black hair almost turned silver when the moonbeams caught it.

"Alright then," Continued the maroon pajama clad boy, "Show me what you've got Potter."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "We have to bow first."

Weasley made a pfft sound of dismissal and clumsily bent as the waist. Harry did the same but slightly more fluidly.

"Okay," Started Harry, "May the best man win." The grin that flashed across Harry's face was positively vulpine.

"_Rictusempra_!" Spat Weasly and a jet of silver light shot straight at Harry, who quickly yelled "_Protego_" and the spell bounced off narrowly missing Finnigan. The Slytherin retaliated with a _Densaugeo_ but Weasley dodged it, the yellow light reflected off a trophy case and went bouncing around the room like a frightened rabbit. Harry quickly grabbed Hermione and cast _Protego_ around them to protect them from the rouge spell.

Weasley and Finnigan managed to avoid the spell and it soon fizzled out. Harry dropped the shield charm and sent a strong _Expelliarmus_ at the ruffled Gryffindor and his wand went shooting out of his hand and into a large golden trophy with a loud clang. Harry winced hoping that the loud sound hadn't caught the attention of a patrolling teacher or even worse, Filch.

Fortunately there was no sound of disturbance and Harry plucked Weasley's wand out of the golden trophy, vaguely noticing a name on the plaque. It read, **Tom M Riddle for Special Services to Hogwarts,** and soon Harry dismissed it and handed Weasley back his wand, handle first.

"I win Weasley," Smirked Harry.

There was no arguing about Harry's point; the Slytherin had won fair and square. But that didn't mean Ron was a good loser.

Weasley shot a quietly muttered spell at Harry's back when the boy turned to face Hermione. The Ravenclaw's brown eyes widened and she pushed Harry backwards and ducked behind a large wooden case full of medals.

Harry went tumbling into a carefully placed display of quidditch trophies with a deafening crash. There was no way somebody hadn't heard that. And sure enough the raspy sound of Filch's voice mumbling to his cat caught their ears. Harry quickly sprung to his feet and grabbed Hermione by the hand and pulled her out of the trophy room, the Gryffindor's hot on their heels as they galloped down the corridor with no idea where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passage way. The group of first years hurried along it and came out near their charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

Harry pressed himself up against the cool stone wall panting rapidly, hoping to cool his overheated body down a bit. Hermione joined him, clutching at a stich in her side. Ron had collapsed on the floor in a sweaty heap while Finnigan was bent double wheezing and spluttering.

"You - you," Hermione rounded on Weasley, her expression merciless, "You foolish idiot! If it wasn't for you casting a spell behind Harry's back we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Weasley frowned, his face scrunched up making him look like he had a bad case of constipation, "No it wasn't! It was your fault for pushing him into that pile of trophies!"

Hermione and Ron bickered while Harry and Finnigan caught their breath, the argument came to a dead stop when there was a popping sound and Peeves flickered into sight after watching the whole escapade while being invisible.

"Wandering around at midnight, ickle firsties?" Leered the poltergeist, "Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty!"

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please!" Begged Hermione, who was looking up at the poltergeist with large, innocent molten-brown eyes.

The floating man hesitated, "Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way!" Snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves – that was a big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeved bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Harry and Hermione ducked under Peeves and ran for their lives; Harry absentmindedly noticed the thump-thump of the Gryffindors tailing them.

Harry slammed against an old wooden door and frantically fiddled with the door handle trying to open it. It was locked.

"Oh were done for!" Moaned Ron, who was a strange mix of beet root red from the running and a pasty white from fear of being caught; this resulted in an angry pink colour.

"Oh move over," snarled Hermione, she grabbed Harry's wand and tapped the lock whispering, "_Alohomora_!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open. The group of first years piled through it and shut it quickly.

Harry pressed his ear against the key hole listening for Filch; Harry could hear him arguing with Peeves, but the caretaker's footsteps became dulled as he walked away in the opposite direction.

"I think we'll be okay," Said Harry, relived.

"Umm Harry?" Whimpered Hermione.

"Wha-" Harry swiveled on the spot, and saw quite clearly what had Hermione worried. For a moment Harry thought he had walked into a living nightmare. They weren't in a room as he had supposed, they were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor, and now Harry knew why it was so very forbidden.

They were looking into the eyes of a monstrous dog – a Cerberus to be precise. The giant three headed dog filled the whole space between the ceiling and the floor. It was standing quite still, all six, mad eyes staring at the first years. Harry knew the only reason they weren't all very dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that. There was no mistaking what those growls meant.

Harry groped for the door knob, between Filch and death; he'd take Filch any day. The door fell open and the group of four first years went tumbling backwards into a pile of struggling limbs. Finnigan had managed to kick the door closed stopping the Cerberus from poking one of its massive heads out the door and devouring them all.

Harry and Hermione practically flew down the corridor, this time the Gryffindors didn't follow them and sped off in the opposite direction. Harry and Hermione parted ways when they reached the stairwell; in too much of hurry they didn't dare say good-bye to the other. Harry shot down the stairs while Hermione scrambled up them. Harry reached the common room's secret entrance in record time and spilled out the password.

"Basilisk!" The wall slid open and Harry flopped onto the leather sofa facing Salazar's portrait.

Harry was too busy trying to catch his breath to notice that Sal wasn't in his frame alone. There was a tall, broad-shouldered man in a crimson silk shirt also in the portrait; he had wavy, tawny hair that reached his ears and his eyes were a soft brown.

"Well look what the kneezle dragged in," Mocked Slytherin as he stared down at Harry collapsed on the sofa.

"Huh?" Harry turned his attention to the portrait and blinked in surprise at seeing another person.

"G-good evening." Harry panted, quickly sitting up straight.

"It's good morning brat, it almost two am. I thought you'd been caught by the caretaker." Grumbled Sal.

"Oh, no we didn't get caught. Just escaped. I won though." Harry grinned, wondering who the other man was.

"Congratulations Harry! I will not disown you on this fine if not absurdly early morning." There was a pause in the conversation and the man in the red shirt gave a quite cough to get Sal's attention.

"Ah yes, where are my manners." Salazar had only just remembered that he had a guest, "This is Godric Gryffindor."

Harry blinked stupidly for a bit then remembered his voice, "It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

Gryffindor smiled like a goofy child and nodded his head, "Pleasures all mine! Is this the child genius you were talking about Sal?"

Salazar nodded.

"Amazing; you must be one smart child to get this old dragon's approval!" Gryffindor slapped Salazar on the back making the green eyed man lurch forward in his frame.

Harry smiled demurely, "Thank you Sir."

Sal sighed, "Harry I think you should be going to bed now. You'll be absolutely shattered in the morning."

Harry yawned, "I do believe you are right." Harry turned to wave as he descended into the boy's dormitory.

Gryffindor gave Harry a toothy grin while Salazar just face-palmed.

…

Despite his late night; Harry still managed to be the first awake in his dorm. Blinking away his sleepiness, Harry pulled back his bed hangings. Sitting cross-legged in the darkness of the Slytherin boy's dorm, Harry had time to think about last night's escapades properly.

He had noticed that the monstrous Cerberus was standing over a trapdoor. Being the observant child he was Harry didn't often miss things, even in life threating situations. He rarely forgot things either; in fact Harry's suspicions at having an eidetic memory were growing.

Maybe he would ask Professor Snape if there was a test or maybe a spell to test such things. The little Slytherin then returned his ponderings back to the trapdoor. Severus had taken something out of Gringotts when he had first been introduced to the magical world.

What did that goblins say again? Harry strained his memory, and almost like a film playing out inside Harry's mind, he heard the goblin telling his potions professor about the security of Gringotts and Hogwarts.

"_I advise you to keep it in Gringotts Mr. Snape; this is the safest place in the wizarding world. Except perhaps Hogwarts," Said the Goblin in a sharp, biting tone._

_Snape leaned in a fraction, his face merely inches away from the goblins, "That," He whispered, "Is where it is going."_

_The Goblin let out an exhalation, "Ah I see, do you wish us to provide extra security?" There was a cruel smile playing on the Goblin's lips at the thought of thinking up ways to keep out intruders, hopefully the headmaster would allow some of the more dangerous protections. _

_Snape gave a curt nod and waited as the goblin scrawled some things down on a piece of parchment with a long quail feather quill._

"_Well then, Mr. Snape. This should be in order, provided the headmaster is willing to pay." The goblin slid the parchment across the desk he was sitting at, towards Severus. _

_Snape's black eyes scanned the writing, flicking back and forth, "This all seems to be in order; Dumbledore will send the fee via owl."_

_Snape folded up the parchment and slipped it into his front pocket. They then went to retrieve the grubby package wrapped up in brown paper and string from vault seven hundred and thirteen._

That must be it, thought Harry. How could something so small be so dangerous or expensive? Perhaps it was a diamond or another rare jewel. Harry then listed off as many things in his head as he could, right from ancient relics to powerful wizarding artifacts.

Why did the Headmaster want it moved though? A flash of a memory popped up in Harry's mind; it was a clipping of a newspaper.

**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN – Latest investigations into the break-in at Gringotts on the 31****st**** of July, widely believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.  
>'But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out of it if you know what's good for you,' said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.<strong>

Dumbledore must have known there would be an attack on the vault! Harry was busy thinking about the package, it's significant and the fact that Dumbledore knew it would be stolen when he heard the rustling of his fellow Slytherins.

Harry looked up to see Draco's bed stirring, a scowl graced Harry's features. Draco was being a right prat at the moment. Honestly that boy had weird views on muggleborns. Couldn't he see that Hermione was no different than a pureblood? Yes their mannerisms and culture are different, but if he just looked past that he would see the sweet, clever, caring girl that was Hermione.

Harry got off his bed and slipped off to the boy's bathroom to have a shower. Once he was clean and dressed, Harry made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry sat down at the far end of the Slytherin table and let Cleo slither out of his sleeve and onto the table. Harry cut some haddock up for her and the sea krait started to tuck into the fish with enthusiasm. Harry opted for some plain toast; his stomach still wasn't used to all the new foods. So Harry kept his diet simple.

As Harry was finishing his toast he heard somebody call his name. It was Hermione.

"Good morning Harry!" Hermione ran over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Harry, pointedly ignoring the disgusted stares from the dark-haired boy's house mates.

"Hello Hermione." Harry smiled best he could around his toast.

Hermione started to absentmindedly stroke Cleo as she engaged Harry in conversation, "Harry, guess what happened to Weasley and Finnigan!"

Harry raised a singular eyebrow in questioning and soon Hermione exclaimed, "They were caught by Professor Snape last night!"

Harry had to cover his mouth to avoid spraying toast everywhere. Once he swallowed his bite of toast, Harry giggled madly.

"Do you know what their punishment was?" Harry laughed.

Hermione nodded her honey-brown curls flying all over the place, "According to Padma Patil, they both got detention for a week and thirty points taken away… each!"

Harry laughed and stood up noticing the sour looks Weasley and Finnigan were sending his and Hermione's way. Hermione and Harry then walked off to Care of Magical Creatures with each other conversing about last night's adventure.

Harry filled Hermione in on the package that had seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they both spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable, or really dangerous," said Hermione.

"Or both," replied Harry.

But all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long. They didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Once the topic of the package and the trapdoor lost its interest, Harry and Hermione started to think up ways of trying to win back Draco's affections. He was a worthwhile friend and Harry really missed having him around, and he could tell Hermione missed him too, even though he gave her the cold shoulder. Despite his behavior and ideals, both first years knew that all they needed was to have Draco reconsider their friendship or at least try… keyword being _try_.

Harry and Hermione's efforts went in vain until Halloween. Harry was sitting at the Ravenclaw table when he saw Draco cornered in the Great Hall by a gang off Gryffindorks, including Weasley. Harry stood and rushed over to help with Hermione hot on his heels.

"Hey leave him alone!" Harry yelled out.

Weasley kept his wand trained on Draco but turned towards Harry to reply, "Why should I Potter? He's a slimy snake and deserves what he's going to get!"

A jinx was on the tip of Weasley's tongue when Harry cast the disarming spell, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Weasley's wand went flying and landed in Neville Longbottom's bowl of cereal.

"Why you!" Weasley launched himself at Harry who didn't have any time to react. His small more fragile frame was pushed to the stone floor with a sickening crack. Cleo hissed menacingly and reared back ready to bite Weasley, but luckily Snape got there first.

"Weasley unhand Potter this instant!"

Ronald rolled off Harry and stood up. Harry lay on the floor with his eyes scrunched up, his head hurt… badly.

"Weasley thirty points from Gryffindor for attacking another student! And detention with Filch!" Snape scolded at the Gryffindor first year. Snape then turned his attentions to his injured Slytherin and knelt down beside him. Most of the hall was looking on in a mixture of awe and amusement.

"Can you sit up Potter?" Said Snape softly.

Harry sat with some help from Hermione who was by his shoulder. He could feel a trickle of warm blood run down the side of his face.

"Hold still," Said Snape, "_Episkey_."

Harry winced as he felt the cut on his head close up, "Thank you Professor."

"You're welcome." Snape stood, "Well then if everything is fine, I suggest you get off to your next lesson."

"Yes Sir," said Hermione, who then hauled Harry to his feet and dragged him off to the Slytherin and Ravenclaw Herbology lesson.

Throughout the lesson with Professor Sprout Harry noticed that Draco was giving him odd looks. They bordered on the line of gratitude and sadness. Harry avoided Draco's eye; he wasn't going to speak with the boy unless he apologized to Hermione first. After a while Draco appeared to have given up on trying to catch Harry's attention and resignedly went back to repotting his aconite seedlings, with a horribly broken look on his pale face that made Harry want to rush over to him and give him the world's biggest hug. But the little dark haired Slytherin held back and waited patiently.

By the end of the class the air of sadness around Draco seemed to have intensified and Harry almost found it physically upsetting to be around him. He started to wonder if he was being too harsh on the youngest Malfoy.

As Harry left the lesson with Hermione, he saw Draco practically run past him. Harry caught a glimpse of his pale face – and was startled to see that he was in tears.

Harry was about to run after his house mate when Hermione grabbed his arm, "Harry, let him be for a while. I don't think he'll want you to see him in such a weak state at the moment."

Harry gave a silent shrug and left for the common room.

Draco didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Hermione overheard Blaise telling Daphne that Draco was locked up in the boy's dormitory and was refusing to come out.

Harry was practically dragged to the Great Hall by Hermione when he heard that, as he wanted to go and apologize to Draco.

But when the pair of first years entered the Hall, the decorations distracted them from the upset Slytherin.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The food appeared suddenly on the golden plates, and just as Harry was putting some salad on his plate, Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face.

Everyone stared as he reached Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped.

"Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know."

Then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

…

**PHEW, for some reason that chapter was hard to write and took ages but nothing really happened.**

**Again, there were loads of massive scary riots where I live the past few days, London has gone crazy. A car was set on fire on my road and a couple of streets away shops were smashed and looted. I just wanted to say that I am OK! I will be posting my story as per usual! (which is very slowly xD)**

**Once again, I must thank my wonderful, amazing, magical beta 'FallForYourType'.**

**Also she has a message for you guys, please read and take into consideration. **

"**Readers and reviewers for "The Peverell Curse", I just wanted to remind you all to read the author notes not just only on here, but on every story you read. These authors put them there for a reason for you to read. I wrote this because when I went to review Odd's reviews for this story, many of you wrote the same thing, even though Odd said he did not have this chapter beta'd and he has dyslexia. Hell, even I can't write perfectly and make many mistakes. I might even miss a couple on here and I apologize to Odd and the rest of you as well. But please for goodness sakes, read what the author's put because they do have important information on them. I hope you continue reading Odd's story and if you don't agree with how he is writing his characters and plot, then I ask you kindly to stop reading the story and go on to another one. This is FF for a reason; if you don't like, don't read. Thank you and I apologize if I offend anyone. I am just over protective of Odd."**


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